


Dominion

by Escalus



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Gore, Guilt, Kidnapping, M/M, Mental Instability, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-01-23 17:00:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 81,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12512052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Escalus/pseuds/Escalus
Summary: Theo Raeken's plan was to take everything that Scott McCall had.  When the plan failed spectacularly, he did the next best thing: he took Scott McCall.





	1. The Wounded King

_And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:_  
_and let them have Dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,_  
_and over the cattle, and over all the earth,_  
_and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth._  
**Genesis 1:26**

Theo held the glass of water in his hands as if it would poison him if he drank it. He resisted the urge to throw it against the wall; he had to remain in control. It was ironic; as a chimera, he didn’t have the same control issues that a real werewolf experienced. So what he felt at this point was a genuine desire to hurt someone simply to enjoy their pain. He could hear his fake parents cowering in the master bedroom but hurting them would only make him look weak to his own eyes; they were nobodies. His new chimera pack was getting cleaned up in the basement, but hurting them wound undermine his tenuous control. He’d risked much bringing them back to life.

The truth was that there was no one suitable on which to take out his frustrations within a reasonable distance. No one had failed but him. It was intolerable. _This shouldn’t be happening,_ Theo thought to himself. _I was supposed to have power. I was supposed to win!_

What galled him the most was not that he had been defeated, but that he had been defeated by random chance. Theo had meant every word when he had sneered aloud about Mason waiting five more minutes, and the blow to the human’s head had felt really, really satisfying. It was the only satisfaction he had received after so much work, after so much careful planning to get Scott alone, weakened and isolated during the perigee syzygy, after so much scheming to get an enraged Liam to kill him. All of that effort had been wasted.

To make matters worse, he had had to kill Scott with his bare hands, ruining any chance he had of capturing the alpha power. He had promised the Doctors that getting rid of Scott would prevent the McCall Pack from getting in the way, and he knew that it was important to keep his promise to them if he wished to keep breathing. They dealt in numbers, and their favorite number of both enemies and failures was zero. 

Theo had convinced the Doctors that while every member of that pack were formidable as individuals, they wouldn’t be dangerous enough to thwart the Doctor’s plans without Scott. The True Alpha didn’t have Stiles’ intuitive skills and empathy for darkness; he didn’t have Lydia’s ability to gather and analyze information; he didn’t have Liam’s athletic talent or anger-spawned strength; he didn’t have Malia’s instincts or raw fury; he didn’t have Kira’s inherited skills or her thunder; and he didn’t have Mason’s ability to synthesize solutions from available data. He wasn’t the smartest or the strongest or even the most dangerous among his friends. What the True Alpha had was the ability to turn these people into a pack. He could push his friends past their paranoia, their insecurity, their selfishness, and their distractions in order to create something truly powerful. He took the individual parts and made a greater whole. 

That synergy was what made the McCall pack an obstacle; which, of course, was why Scott had to go. But that was what the Doctors had wanted; Theo had wanted more than Scott’s destruction. He didn’t care about physical power; he had plenty of that as the First Chimera. No, he wanted to _be_ Scott; to be the alpha; to have people look up to him and follow him the way they had followed Scott. The only way that could have happened was if Theo was actually the alpha, and the only way for Theo to be alpha was if Liam had killed Scott, inherited the alpha power, and then Theo had been ‘forced’ to kill Liam in self-defense.

Now it was in ruins; he had been forced to remove Scott in the wrong way, denying Theo what he deserved. In his rage and desperation, he had scrambled for any power he could get. His chimera pack had potential, but he still wasn’t an alpha. He still wasn’t a real werewolf. With an effort at self-control, he put the glass on the counter. It was then that he realized the Surgeon had appeared behind him. 

Theo turned around slowly. As much time as he spent with the Doctors, their ability to phase in and out of reality could still catch him unawares. “I know. I screwed up. I overstepped my bounds.” 

The Surgeon was hard to read, as were all the Doctors. Their masks and their lack of humanity caged any emotion they might feel. “Inconsequential.” 

Theo blinked. “Are you telling me … success?” 

“Success has been achieved.” The Doctor watched him for his reaction. “Only time is required to achieve full manifestation.” 

Theo had worked closer with them than anyone else, but he only understood enough of their arcane science to be helpful. He did not know everything about their secret goals. Right now, he was trying to figure out the Surgeon’s purpose here. It wasn’t to kill him and his chimera pack, because he would have brought the other two with him. The Surgeon did not believe in the concept of ‘overkill.’

Theo made an effort to sound confident. “What do you need?”

“Verification. The primary obstacles have been eliminated?” The lenses on the Doctor’s mask switched out. Theo knew he was being checked for lies. 

Theo nodded. “The McCall pack is no more. The banshee is broken. The ex-nogitsune is focused on his father. The werecoyote hunts for her mother. The kitsune is gone and no one knows if she’ll return. The beta -– no, the omega -- is in hiding, and only his human friend is in contact with him. The True Alpha died on these claws.” He lifted his hands. There were still traces of Scott’s blood on them.

“Severed?” The Surgeon demanded.

“What?” 

“Hemicorporectomy.” There was a slight tone of exasperation in the Doctor’s voice. If you were around them long enough, you could tell that they still had emotions, though they were withered, vestigial echoes. 

Theo scrunched up his face. “No. No, I didn’t. But I heard his heart stop. I saw his eyes fade. He’s dead.”

“Verification.” The Doctor insisted. 

“All right, all right. I’ll verify it personally. Will that satisfy you?” Theo sighed and headed towards the door. To his surprise the Surgeon followed after him. _Great,_ he sighed internally, _they no longer trust me. At least they’re not going to kill my pack._

Theo’s life hadn’t been normal, but it was still so very, very weird to be driving in his truck with a Dread Doctor sitting in the passenger seat. If he had not been a twisted mass of seething disappointment and irritation, he might have found it funny.

They checked the library first. There was no police presence and no bodies. Theo felt his neck flush in embarrassment. He didn’t look the Surgeon in the face. Would Mason have enough presence of mind to hide the body? He drove towards the hospital, but he decided to take a route that would lead him by the McCall House. It was the next logical place to check.

The outside of the house seemed normal. Only Scott’s bike was there and the lights were on. The Surgeon made a motion to stop, and they got out of the truck. Emotions boiled in Theo’s gut. Damn it, if Scott was alive, Theo believed he would start tearing out his own hair. Everything had gone exactly the way he wanted it, until the final steps of the plan. _What did I do wrong?_

There were no defenses on the house -- not even mountain ash. The door was locked, but that wasn’t a problem for the Surgeon. Theo’s senses picked up a faint heartbeat and the smell of blood from the stairway.

Scott McCall was passed out on the floor. He was wearing gloves and his motorcycle helmet was lying next to him; he had been planning to drive somewhere. Theo could tell that he was still breathing, but there was blood pooling through his shirt. His brows crinkled in confusion; he looked back at the Doctor, who stood at the head of the stairs. 

“They just left him here?” Theo exclaimed in shock. “He’s their alpha. They left him here defenseless and half-dead? Where’s his mother? I told everyone that I was after him. I killed him. And they just …” He shook his head. “I sat there and told Stiles to his face that I had to kill Scott to get what I want. Did he not warn anyone?” 

The Surgeon switched out his lenses. He was studying Theo, not Scott. Theo understood why. It didn't make any sense to him either why he was so upset over this. He should be happy that Scott’s pack and family had left him undefended; it made this task so much easier.

But, none-the-less, he was upset. He couldn't believe it; this was Scott McCall, the True Alpha, who had led the fight against the Dread Doctors, who had saved dozens of supernaturals from the Dead Pool, who had freed his friend from possession by a Nogitsune when that had never happened before, who had lead rival packs to defeat a Darach and the Alpha Pack, who had not only broken the Argents but turned them into allies. Scott was going to die in the hallway of his own home, because everyone else must have been busy doing more important things.

Theo stood over the unconscious wolf. “I … I don’t want to do it.” He took a breath, realizing he had spoken out loud. “What’s wrong with me?” 

“Dangerous.” The Surgeon’s inflectionless voice echoed through the hallway. He gripped his walking cane and began to pull the sword from its sheath. 

“I know. I know he is, but …” Theo studied the unconscious figure. “I wanted to replace him. I wanted to have what he had. And it turns out that what he had was the type of pack willing to abandon him in his last moments.” 

The Surgeon paused with the blade half out of its sheath. “Emotions are dangerous.” 

“I know.” Theo shook his head to clear it. “It’s … disappointing. It’s such a goddamned waste.” He walked over and extended his hand for the sword. 

The Surgeon stared at the wall, but he was looking at something else, far away in space and time. As usual, his masks served to block any sort of clear indication of what he was thinking. So it was more than a surprise to Theo when he pushed the sword back into the cane’s sheath. 

“We’re not killing him?” Theo asked, incredulously. The Doctors did not change their minds, since they took years to plan out even the simplest of their actions. 

“Potential.” He pointed at the unconscious alpha with his cane, indicating that Theo should pick him up. “The obstacle needed to be removed. He has been removed.” When he brought the unconscious wolf near the Surgeon, the masked scientist injected the alpha with something from one of the hypodermic weapons that he always carried with him. 

Theo wrapped the alpha in blankets from his own bed and carried him down and put him in the base of the truck. The Surgeon walked beside him, using the creepy ability to make people forget that they saw them to conceal what they were doing. 

“I’ll be right back.” Theo said after he put Scott in the back of the truck. “I’m going to give them something to think about.” He returned to the house and wrecked the place. He smashed everything in Scott’s room. Trophies. Framed pictures. His skateboard. His guitar. This was a punishment. It made Theo feel triumphant; he imagined the look on his family’s faces on his friends’ faces, when they realized what he had done. He left the motorcycle helmet where it lay in the hallway as a message and then left, stopping only to smash the framed family pictures on the wall.

Back in the truck, a smile played over Theo’s face. The Surgeon, as usual, said nothing unless it was absolutely necessary, but he had a way of interrogating by silence. “I get to be petty sometimes. It’s in the job description.” 

The Surgeon made no comment on that. Theo had never gotten one of them to laugh in eight years, though they did not seem to mind that he tried. The Doctor directed him to the Operating Theater closest to his house. 

The other two Doctors were waiting for them here. They must have had some form of communication that Theo could not sense; it had puzzled him for years. He helped them secure Scott to a table. The Surgeon then turned to him. “Prepare a room.” 

“Okay,” Theo didn’t see any reason to fight. “What are you going to do with him?”

“Exploit potential. Be prepared. You will need to supervise his condition carefully.” The Surgeon began to remove Scott’s blood-soaked shirt. “Depart.” It was not a suggestion.

###### 

The Raeken house, or the house owned by the two people who were pretending to be Mr. and Mrs. Raeken, was a luxurious six-bedroom house on the outskirts of Beacon Hills. It was as far away from the Preserve as you could get without leaving the school district. It had an almost ridiculously large yard by design. Given his purpose here in Beacon Hills, nosy neighbors would be very inconvenient.

Theo parked his car in the three-car garage, only to find Tracy was waiting for him in the utility room. It was oddly unsettling that she seemed to be able to sense where he was. “Is there something wrong?” 

“Yes. Hayden says she has to go home.” Tracy had pretty much promoted herself into position as his second in command. “She’s beginning to get pretty antsy about it. Corey is worried about going home as well.”

“What about you and Josh?” Theo thought he would ask. It seemed like an alpha thing to do.

Tracy shrugged. “I don’t care; there’s no one for me at home. Josh's been missing for days; he doesn’t have any idea what to tell his family.” 

Theo thought about the logistics of the situation. It would be best if the pack re-established family ties. “Where are they?” 

“Basement recreation room.” Tracy said with pretty cold-blooded efficiency. “Your ‘parents’ are in their bedroom.” 

Theo headed toward the basement, Tracy falling into step behind him. He wondered why it felt so right for her to be there. Was it a side effect of her kanima nature? Was he her master? Or was he her leader? He hadn’t thought beyond claiming the chimeras as his when he had raised them from the dead. He really didn’t have much experience in leadership. It wasn’t the same as manipulation.

The three other chimeras were watching a movie in the basement. Actually, Josh was the only person watching the movie, which, from the single glance Theo gave it, looked to be the third Blade movie. Hayden was fidgeting nervously and staring at the clock, while Corey was sitting near her and looking generally nervous. All of them looked up when he came in.

That they did so thrilled Theo. He put on his best and most friendly smile. “I’m sorry for leaving like that, but I had things that I needed to take care of. I hope you’ve not been too bored.”

When he took a moment to study them more closely, he could see panic edging their eyes. They were clean and had fresh clothes on, but it hadn’t been 24 hours since they were dead. 

“Anyway,” he continued. “You have a lot to learn, and I’m going to need cooperation from each and every one of you. This world you’ve entered is dangerous, and it will remain that way for the foreseeable future. I’ll protect you as much as I can.”

“My sister …” Hayden started.

“You have to go home,” soothed Theo. “I understand. I’ll drive you home, and we’ll work out a reasonable story for where you were on the way. Corey and Josh, do you want to go home? It’ll be more difficult for you two, but I think we can make it work.”

“I’m going to be in so much trouble,” Josh remarked. “I’m not looking forward to it.” 

“Everyone saw me dead,” said Corey, nervously. “What am I going to say?” 

“You leave that to me,” Theo replied with a nod. “I’m pretty good with that stuff. The question is – do you want to? You don’t have to.” He had to remind himself that all four of them had been normal teenagers but a month ago. Trauma was trauma, and they were probably going to need the comfort of family. 

In the end, all three decided to head home. Theo wasn’t angry; the three of them leaving actually worked out pretty well for him. He could have Tracy prepare one of the bedrooms for their new guest, and he wouldn’t have to worry about any other member of his chimera pack sharing something accidentally with someone who shouldn’t know about it. Their focus was on their homes and lives; they had families that were real families, though in Corey’s case they didn’t seem particularly healthy ones. Theo had had a real family once as well. He imagined that somewhere he still had one, but they must think he was long dead.

Maybe he shut the door harder than he meant to when they left the house. 

By time he had got back to the house, Theo was exhausted. As easy as he might make it look, telling the right people the right thing at the right time to get them to do what you want them to was not actually easy. He had listened to the conversations that Hayden had with her sister and used her superior hearing to coach her through the discussion. He had done the same for Josh and Corey, though it was less difficult than the inquisitive deputy had been. Josh had been missing for far longer, and he had to urge the boy to accept his parent’s wrath. Corey had been declared legally dead, but his parents had seemed strangely apathetic with the situation, seemingly angrier with the trouble of cancelling funeral plans. 

Theo made a mental note that it might be time for Corey to become an orphan. 

The house was dark as he pulled into the driveway. There was nothing particularly sinister about that, but the entire situation had escalated recently so he listened carefully after he had killed the engine. There were four heartbeats. Two were in the master bedroom and thus easily disregarded. The other two were in one of the smaller bedrooms on the other side of the house. That was where Theo went; he was strangely excited.

In the darkened room, Tracy kept vigil over Scott McCall who lay asleep in the bed. Someone had tucked him in. Theo took one look at the bad and then exclaimed. “No restraints?”

“They said he wouldn’t be able to do much for a few days. They said that the techniques were … invasive.” Tracy shuddered. She looked up at him. He was sure that she would never have borne the presence of the Dread Doctors if what they were doing had not been important to him. It was now clear; he was her Master.

“I see. Before I go to bed, I’m going to seal the room with mountain ash anyway.” Theo studied the figure on the bed for a few moments. “Did they say anything about what we’re supposed to do?”

Tracy swallowed. “Take the bandages off in two days. Either the process will take or it won’t.” She repeated their instructions. “I guess if it doesn’t, he’ll die.”

A surge of disappointment went through Theo, but he put it down savagely. He had no trouble with it when he thought that he’d have to kill Scott, but the possibility of him dying of some other cause didn’t sit well with him. “They didn’t happen to mention what the process would result in, did they?” 

Tracy shook her head. She probably didn’t interrogate them either.

“You should sleep,” Theo said. He wanted to be alone with Scott without her presence. “You look tired.” 

Tracy smiled at him, pleased that he was showing concern. Theo watched her leave, puzzled. He wasn’t one to turn down a loyal follower, but her easy loyalty wasn’t something that he was used to. He would need to think about how to use her carefully.

Theo sat down on the bed, gently. He didn’t want to wake Scott up, because he was sure things could get a little violent and he wasn’t ready for that yet. He reached over and turned the lamp on. He could see in the dark, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see clearer with a little light. 

Scott was unconscious and pale; he looked feverish. Theo put a hand on the alpha’s brow; he was burning up. Whatever the Doctors had done to him was still transpiring. The touch of his hand brought a soft moan, but Scott was nowhere near consciousness.

Theo chuckled to himself. He had planned the boy’s death, but at this moment he felt oddly protective. He had tried to kill Scott, but that had been for a _purpose._ Perhaps one day he would have another reason to kill, but right now, he was far more interested in him being here. If the ‘good guys’ were too foolish to understand what losing Scott would mean, he wasn’t going to hesitate to steal away their discards. 

No. Scott McCall wasn’t going anywhere. He was Theo’s now.


	2. The Hollow Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After kidnapping Scott, Theo learns more about the Surgeon's experiment on the alpha. Oh, and Stiles threatens to kill him.

As Theo let the hot water flow over his skin, he wondered why he was still getting ready for school as if he were like any other normal teenager. The truth was he no longer had any need to go to school; he had not only taken off his mask, he had burned it. There was no one left at the school that he wanted or needed to fool. Even the thickest person in the remains of the McCall pack had to know by now that he was an enemy. All the chimeras save one had been accounted for. And practically speaking, it was highly unlikely that a high school diploma would mean much to him at all in the long run.

So why did he feel like he wanted to go to school? 

He slipped out of the shower and started to dry himself off. When he thought about it he guessed that the urge to go was similar to the reason that he kept working out. While his superior strength and stamina were mostly the result of the Doctor’s experiments, he could still gain some benefits from lifting weights. He supposed that if he went to class he might actually learn something he didn’t know.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Theo dressed and styled himself carefully. He had learned long ago that being thought handsome, being thought sexy, gave you an ‘in’ no matter what your ultimate goal was. The dull masses could excuse anything if you were a pretty white boy. 

With one last look in the mirror, he grabbed his keys and his book bag from his bed. In the hallway he decided that it would be good to on their new guest before he left. The room was only two doors down from his; he’d peek in and then leave. 

To his surprise, Scott wasn’t alone. Tracy was in there, sitting on a chair, watching the unconscious alpha. She wasn’t fidgeting or bored; she watched, sitting in the almost complete darkness. It was sort of creepy to Theo, and he was the product of the experiments of mad scientists.

“He woke up a little bit after five,” said Tracy without preamble. She brushed the hair out of her eyes as she looked up at him. “I gave him some water and helped …” She made a face that showed her disgust. “… him go to the bathroom. If we’re going to care for invalids, we’re going to need some supplies.”

“Okay.” Theo scrunched up his face in disgust. “He’s getting better?” 

“I’m not a doctor, but his fever is down.” Tracy shrugged. “You don’t have to worry. He’s still in no condition to break out of here.” 

Theo looked down on Scott’s unconscious form; he didn’t look as wrecked as when he and the Surgeon had found him and he was definitely better than directly after the procedure. He looked less feverish but there was something about his face that was out of place. Squinting, Theo gently reached down and pulled back his upper lip. 

“That doesn’t look … right.” Tracy observed, mostly dispassionately. She had been turned into a giant lizard, so Theo guessed she wasn’t going to be easily shocked.

“No, it doesn’t.” Scott’s fangs had dropped, which shouldn’t happen when he was asleep or unconscious, as far as Theo knew. The gums near the fangs were discolored, dark red shading to purple. Scott didn’t even react to his prodding. 

Theo let the lip go, crossed his arms, and stepped back to contemplate. “Any ideas?” Tracy asked.

“Not a clue. If they wanted me to know what they had done, they would have told me.” Theo shook his head. “But it makes no sense for the Surgeon to spare him if they didn’t think he’d have a chance to survive. We’ll have to wait and see.”

The pair of them stood contemplating their prisoner in the silence of the early morning. The trouble with dealing with once-human scientists who often seemed annoyed by having to speak at all was that miscommunication was an ongoing issue.

Theo turned to look at Tracy. “Wait a minute. You helped him go to the bathroom. Why did you do that? I didn’t ask you to do it.”

Tracy shrugged. “He’s important to you. I don’t know why, but I don’t need to know. You’re the alpha, aren’t you? So, he’s important to me.”

Theo blinked at that response. It didn’t seem like she was lying or trying to ingratiate herself. Maybe she didn’t have any ulterior motive. The thought surprised him in a pleasant way; he reappraised their relationship while they stood there.

“I get off school at 3:30,” he said, finally. “Are you going to be here?” He meant to phrase it as a command, but it came out a question.

“Yeah.” She said, immediately. 

Theo put his hand on her shoulder. It was pretty awkward. “We need to make sure you can walk around the city without too much problem. That means we need to go to the hospital.”

Tracy turned her head to look up at him. She asked a question without speaking. 

“We need to make sure that the driver from the van you attacked can’t identify you. He’s going to wake up eventually.” With that, he left for school.

###### 

Theo was strangely surprised; the first two periods of school were almost relaxing. There would be no confrontation this day, he believed, since he was the only one from his pack to show up and the only person from the McCall pack to show up was Mason. Their eyes met in the hallway once, and the fear reflected in Mason’s eyes was only barely greater than the anger. But Mason was smart enough not to confront him in a hallway full of people; Mason was also smart enough not to confront him alone. The human must have figured out that the time for deception had passed. Whatever his origin, Theo was a predator, and this was now his exclusive hunting ground.

In that spirit, he strode down the hallway of the school and flashed a confident smile at everyone. Most everyone responded the way you would if a handsome new kid smiled at you, with smiles either tentative or bright. Theo allowed himself to daydream. He counted the months until graduation. If he really wanted to he could become a big man on campus. He could play lacrosse; there was precedent. He could run for Student Council. Such things hadn’t had much appeal for him before, because he had been so focused on getting what he wanted. He hadn’t got what he wanted, exactly, so now was the time to reassess. 

He was still feeling pretty confident when he felt the barrel of a gun jab into his back, and what did it say about his life that he knew what that felt like? Theo sharpened his senses until he finally recognized the heartbeat. A slow smile spread across his face. “Stiles?” How had he missed his scent? His nose was flooded with the aroma of some cheap perfume.

“In there. Now.” Stiles commanded while using the barrel to push him towards a classroom. “Mrs. Finch has a free period, as do you.”

“And what if I say no?” Theo replied confidently. “You’re going to shoot me right in the hallway? Stiles Stilinski, School Shooter.”

“They like Shakespeare in these parts.” Stiles snarled. “Tempt not a desperate man.” 

Theo didn’t particularly like where the gun rested on his back; it was definitely a vital area. He wasn’t a real werewolf, and he didn’t know the caliber of the weapon that Stiles wielded. A shot directly to the heart might possibly kill him. But if Stiles wanted him to go into a room, he wanted to talk. And Theo could talk with the best of them. 

Mrs. Finch’s classroom was indeed empty and would be for nearly forty minutes. Theo remained calm, as he always did. “I’m going to turn around right now if that’s alright with you. If you’re going to kill me, I’d like you to be looking in your eyes.”

“If the point of this was an execution, we wouldn’t be talking.” Stiles said as he took a few steps back. “Turn around slowly.”

“What is it then?” Theo let the smugness come through. The pistol was nowhere big enough to kill him without Stiles being a very good shot. “Do you know how to use that thing?”

“I point it at you and pull the trigger.” Stiles looked horrible. Haggard and grey, he looked like he hadn’t slept, showered, or even changed his clothes since their confrontation the night before last. The stress was tearing him apart; he looked inches from a breakdown. “I don’t know if wolfsbane works on chimera, but I’m willing to find out. I liberated some bullets from the Argents, just in case.”

Theo couldn’t smell it. All he sensed was the overwhelming scent of some cheap perfume. Stiles had no doubt used a bottle and the thousands of smells that filled the school to take him by surprise. As for his heartbeat, it was so erratic that it was pointless to listen for lies.

“Hmmmph.” Theo affected nonchalance. “What do you want?”

“What’s wrong with my dad?” Stiles demanded. The gun shook oh-so-slightly with the tension that ruled Stiles’ body. 

Theo pursed his lips. Stiles should have found his injured father right where Theo had told him. “There’s something wrong …?”

“Don’t play stupid!” Stiles shouted. It didn’t bring anyone into the room. “He was okay and now he’s not okay, and you know why that is. Don’t lie to me, Theo. Don’t make me _think_ you’re lying to me. I have exactly one reason not to kill you right now, and that’s because you might know something.”

Theo tilted his head to the side. There was danger here, but there was also opportunity. He might get to the gun before Stiles pulled the trigger, but if he didn’t he might get shot with a wolfsbane bullet. He wasn’t a werewolf, but he didn’t want to experience aconite poisoning either. On the other hand, Stiles’ mental state was obviously deteriorating. Theo could still get what he wanted.

“So you’ve decided to stop playing around, have you? Well, that’s good. Now I know what I’m dealing with. I have to admit, it’s a bit of a relief.” Theo chuckled. 

“Stop playing … what the fuck are you babbling about?” Stiles looked suddenly even more tired, as if the unexpected tact of Theo’s words had drained him of all his fight. 

“I can work with you now. You were pretty clever, and I almost missed it myself. But then, you were the one I was the most worried about, after all. I never fooled you, did I?” 

Those words had the desired effect. “No, you insufferable bastard, you never fooled me. Now tell me what I want to know.” 

“What’s in it for me?” Theo responded. 

“What’s in it for you?” Stiles whispered, his eyes bugging. He spoke the next words with menacing promise. “What’s in it for you? How about the ability to continue breathing?” 

“I don’t think that’s good enough. I have something you need, so I know that you won’t gun me down at least until you get what you need. So, that means we are opening negotiations.” 

Stiles' glassy eyes shifted around the room as he recalculated. He really must not have slept for over twenty-four hours. “Asshole. What do you want?”

“Come now, Stiles. I told you what I wanted.” Theo folded his hands behind his back as a gesture of peace. “I haven’t changed my mind.”

“And you’re as crazy as you were the last time you told me. Who you want doesn’t exist anymore. He doesn’t exist anymore. I’m not him.” Stiles protested.

“Are you sure about that? I mean, you actually had me believing the idea that he didn’t exist for a while there. You were very convincing. Then I realized that, _of course_ , you were playing me. Tricking me. It was kind of embarrassing really.” Theo shook his head in mock disbelief. “And then when I realized what you had done, I knew that things were working out exactly the way I wanted them to. And, it seems, the way you wanted them to.”

“What in the world are you talking about?” hissed Stiles. The gun did not shake as before, but Theo watched the gears turn. Stiles was trying to decipher what Theo’s intentions were and how to thwart them. 

“How did you get Melissa to come to work and leave Scott alone? Did you call her? Did you ask for her specifically? I would love to hear what you said.” He brought his hands behind his back and made a placating gesture towards Stiles. “You don’t have to tell me. We all have to keep our secrets. But we – I mean, the Doctors and I – we recognize a concession when we see it.”

A wave of emotion passed over Stiles’ face. He hadn’t thought about anything at all but the health of his father.

Theo didn’t wait for Stiles to respond. He needed to press and press and press until something snapped. “It was obvious to us, once we thought about it. You wouldn’t have left a half-dead Scott alone and defenseless without a deeper play in mind. You had figured out that we only needed to remove Scott from the equation, and then we wouldn’t need to destroy the rest of the pack. So you did the only reasonable thing and left him open for us.” 

“I didn’t.” Stiles spoke out and there was an edge of raw emotion. “You’re wrong, I didn’t even think about that.” 

“Are you expecting me to believe that you sat for the last twenty-four hours, wasting time in a hospital waiting room like a useless child, knowing what we were up to?” Theo radiated puzzlement with practiced ease. “You’re the one who figures things out; your tactical evaluations have always been right. You had to know we wouldn’t sit on our hands. But you made the right call; _the ruthless call_. It would have been shocking, if we didn’t know about your past. Now all of you are safe; well, _almost_ all of you. The Doctors don’t care about you or Lydia or Liam or Malia or your dad anymore, and I certainly am pleased with this development.” 

Stiles looked like he had been hit on the side of the head by a two by four. His mind was finally catching up with what Theo had been saying, processing. He was trying to evaluate how much of what Theo had said was a lie and how much of it was the truth. The gun’s point wavered. It wasn’t much, but enough that Theo was now confident he could dodge out of the way if he needed to. 

He didn’t think he needed to. 

“Where is he?” Stiles demanded suddenly, his voice cracking. “What did you do to him? Where is he?”

Theo let the smile vanish from his face. He had to seem a little frightened that Stiles would shoot him. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Tell me!” Stiles forgot where he was and what he was doing in his panic; the gun wandered away from its aim and the human took a step too close. 

Theo took the opportunity to lash out with an open hand and knock the gun from Stiles’ hand. He felt a bone in Stiles’ wrist snap with the force of the blow; that was going to hurt. The gun landed on one of the biology desks and skidded across it. Thankfully, it didn’t go off. With his other hand, Theo lunged forward and grabbed Stiles by the neck, pushing him back against the blackboard. 

“Where do you think he is, Stiles?” Theo’s voice was smug and taunting. It had to be; it was what Stiles would expect. “Part of him is there, and part of him is there, and part of him is waaaaaaaaaaay over there.” So, he liked _Kung Fu Panda 2_. It was a good movie.

Theo didn’t say anything more. He let Stiles process the information at his own pace. He was physically safe now, and he had more cards to play, but he needed Stiles to reach the right point. 

Stiles’ face showed that he had moved past calculation, past tactical analysis, past trying to get a grasp on the situation. Those inches before the breakdown were vanishing. Theo watched them disappear. Stiles believed his father was dying. He believed Scott was dead. And somewhere, nestled in the back of his head and blossoming like a poisonous flower, came the idea that Stiles himself had planned it. That he had subconsciously sacrificed his best friend to save the rest of the pack, his father, and himself. The defense that he wasn’t consciously aware of his plan wouldn’t reassure Stiles at all; he’d done things without realizing it before. 

The dominos fell. Stiles body relaxed as despair seeped from his memories and ate into the base of his reason. The protectiveness he felt for those he loved turned to horror. Question piled upon question as he tried to struggle to make sense with his sharp mind impaired by days of exhaustion and weeks of soul-crushing fear after Donovan. Tears flooded the corner of his eyes. 

“So,” Theo smiled once again, not releasing his grip. “Let’s negotiate.” 

Stiles lifted one hand, automatically to his eyes. He wiped them, but he didn’t look in control. He looked lost. “What?”

“You want to help your father. I don’t know what’s happening to him, but I know the chimera who attacked him, I know how to find him, and I am not unintelligent. I will take you right to him, right now.” 

“Let me go,” Stiles whispered coldly. There it was, the very response Theo had been angling for. The difference that always existed between Stiles and Scott lay exposed. Scott’s principles and dedication made him strong in terms of self-control and leadership, but they also made him vulnerable to stubbornness and inflexibility. It was only his kindness and empathy that kept him from being a tyrant. Stiles was far more, some could say obsessively, goal oriented. Things that got in the way – justice, morality, principle, empathy – all could be jettisoned to reach a goal. Sacrificed to the void. 

Theo pretended to reluctantly comply. “Don’t make me hurt you more.”

The broken wrist was already swelling, but that didn’t mean anything to Stiles right now. “What do you want?”

“Peace.” Theo answered. “You should want that too. I’ve got a new pack to train; everything is in flux. Your life has … changed as well. Keep your friends away from me; mind your own business.” 

“And you’ll help me help my dad? If I convince people to leave you alone.” 

“A dead sheriff draws attention, Stiles.” Theo shrugged. “Let’s get going. I’ve got other things to do today.”

###### 

Theo thought that having superhuman stamina meant he would never feel tired. Except that, right now, he felt so totally exhausted. The only thing he wanted to do right now was eat something and go to bed. 

Stiles and he had spent most of the school day tracking down Noah Patrick. While the Doctors didn’t seem to mind that Theo had his own pack of resurrected chimeras, they didn’t seem to like the idea of one of their creations running around outside of anyone’s control. It had been a close call, but while Theo engaged Noah in combat – and that berserker chimera was very strong – Stiles had noticed a shattered claw. He figured that it must have been a piece of bone that was poisoning his father. He had shouted to Theo that he had what he needed and ran outside to make a phone call. Theo had followed after him as soon as possible, and then drove both of them to the hospital. Stiles was probably still there.

During the drive, Stiles had watched him like he was the devil himself, but the ability to do something had settled the human emotionally. In a quiet voice, he had asked what happened to Noah. Theo told him he had let him go. Stiles didn’t pursue it. 

This was another lie. He’d given him to the Doctors, who had killed him. As much appeal as a berserker chimera had, Theo wasn’t ready to openly break with his patrons. Theo was still ambitious, but right now he had a lot on his plate. 

He had barely got home in time to meet with Tracy. Then he had to drive them both _back_ to the hospital. They worked their way inside avoiding cameras and other people and entered the driver’s room. It was patient, tedious work. Theo was surprised that Tracy had wanted to kill him herself. He had offered to do it for her but she had refused. 

He didn’t have time to think about Tracy now. He would have to, eventually. He had to figure out what was going on with her. He made a sandwich for himself but then remembered he had a guest who also needed to eat. He piled more sandwiches and some drinks on a tray. 

Scott looked better, though better was a relative term. He was conscious, but he looked thoroughly disoriented. Theo took a breath and entered the room. He set the tray down on the end table next to the bed. 

“Hey, Scott.”

Scott’s eyes had been unfocused, roaming about the room. The alpha looked like he didn’t know where he was. Finally he looked up and recognized Theo, standing over him when he was weak and defenseless. The last time that this happened, it hadn’t ended too well for him.

Theo heard Scott’s heart rate explode. He was frightened, but he still had sufficient control not to immediately surge off the bed. His claws extended and his fangs dropped, but he was still out mostly of it. The alpha struggled to push himself up, to defend himself. 

“No, don’t.” Theo put a hand on Scott’s chest, not angrily, but with intent. He wasn’t afraid of Scott; there was no way a fight could endanger Theo with the alpha in this condition. He wanted the alpha to calm down so Scott wouldn't hurt himself. “I’m ….”

It was the weirdest thing. The moment Theo touched him, Scott’s heart rate dropped, his breathing slowed, his claws retracted. Theo felt an electric connection between them; he could feel Scott’s body respond to his thoughts. 

“Theo …” Scott whispered. He was terrified; anyone could have heard the horror in the alpha’s voice. But his heart rate was normal and his breathing steady; it was as if Theo’s touch and will were forcing Scott’s body to remain calm.

Theo smiled. Now this was interesting.


	3. The False Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo convenes a meeting of his chimera pack.

Even though she must have known that Theo could hear her heartbeat and catch her scent, Tracy still knocked on the door. The dossier on her that Theo had helped the Doctor’s put together had indicated that she had been a polite, quiet girl. She had been popular with her peers and she was physically attractive, though she had not done anything to stand out. Her family and her teachers thought her hard-working and pleasant. If only they could see her now.

“Come in.” Theo called out. Part of him wanted more time to play by himself, but her presence was going to be useful. There are things he could only do with an assistant. 

Tracy’s eyes widened in shock as she entered. This wasn’t surprising; it would be a strange sight for anyone who knew what had happened over the last few months. Scott McCall was sitting up in the bed, eating a sandwich, while Theo sat next to him. The First Chimera rested his hand on the True Alpha’s shoulder like they were posing for a yearbook picture.

“I know, right?” Theo said with a grin. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Theo watched Tracy watch Scott eat with suspicion and not a little disbelief; the alpha were deliberate and unnaturally rigid. She kept eyes on him as she walked into the room and around the bed, studying him. “Does … does he even know I’m here?”

“I’m not sure.” Theo gloated. “When I first touched him, I’m sure he was aware of what was going on but after a few minutes his eyes went blank like they are now. It’s like I’m the one telling his body what to do, and he’s completely checked out.”

“That’s creepy.” Tracy pronounced without a hint of irony or self-awareness. She was a half-werewolf, half-lizard; she had very little room to talk.

“Creepy but promising.” Theo, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. “I’d like you to do something. Sit down on his other side.” He waited until she had done so. “Touch his other shoulder. When you do, think about him remaining still, as if you were making yourself remain still.” 

Tentatively, Tracy did exactly that. There was no appreciable effect; no conflict showed on Scott’s face or his actions. It seemed that Theo’s instructions were paramount. While Scott had almost finished the sandwich, Theo was still curious about what was going on. “Okay, I’m going to take my hand off. Try to get him to lay down.”

Tracy nodded, though she shuddered a little at the idea. When Theo lifted his hand off, awareness didn’t immediately spring back to Scott’s eyes, but he also didn’t lie down. On the other hand, when he resumed touching Scott, Theo easily made his captive lie down. 

“So it seems that it only works for me, and control isn’t immediately released when I stop touching him.” Theo felt excited, like he was solving a puzzle. “How did they do this? “

“You’re asking me?” Tracy exclaimed in consternation.

“It was rhetorical.” Theo snapped. He saw the shade of hurt pass Tracy’s face, but he didn’t really know what to say to erase it. “I understand their science better than almost anybody, but I still don’t know how this is working. What I do know is how to make it work for us.”

He stood up and motioned for Tracy to do the same. He kept an eye on Scott, watching to see when (or if) his eyes returned to awareness. He shushed Tracy with his hand when she started talking as he studied the alpha. 

Scott came out of his daze with a start. His eyes were wide with terror, and while he sucked in his breath as if to scream, he didn’t. He jerked up off the bed violently enough to open his wounds, even though they had been healing when he was under Theo’s control. 

“Now, Scott, you don’t want to hurt yourself, especially after I’ve gone through all the trouble of making you comfortable.” Theo put on his best asshole face. With his other hand, he gestured for Tracy to leave the room, crossing over the mountain ash barrier.

“What?” Scott growled. He must have been aware, at some level, of what had been happening, of the way Theo had been playing with him. “What did you do to me?”

“Honestly, if you’re willing to believe me, I don’t know.” Theo chuckled. “My friends aren’t really fond of explaining their experiments. But we both know that something’s happened. I’d love to understand what it is.”

Scott must have thought of something because the defiance in the alpha’s eyes was replaced with horror. His pulse shot through the roof and his breathing became rapid. “Please, Theo.” For a moment he seemed like he was going to go on, but his face hardened, he regained self-control, and his mouth drew into a firm line. 

“I like that. I like you begging, but you’re also going to have to behave yourself if you want something from me.” Theo replied. He did not step out of the mountain ash. Theo wanted to see if Scott would lunge for him. If he did, Theo wanted to see how quickly he could exert control. “Tracy and I are going to go hang. You be good and maybe I’ll help you shower.” 

“Why don’t you kill me and get it over with?” Scott said quietly. 

“Kill you?” Theo shook his head. He burst out laughing. He stopped looked at Scott’s angry grimace and burst out laughing once again. He stepped over the mountain ash line and shut the door. 

“Won’t he try to get out?” Tracy asked.

“Last time he did it, it almost killed him.” Theo knew that Scott was listening. He couldn’t help twisting the knife. “He won’t risk it yet, not when he doesn’t know what’s happening with his former pack. An ill-timed escape attempt could have dire consequences for some of them.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it was definitely a threat.

“What are we going to do now?” Tracy asked. 

“We’re going to bed.” Theo replied. “Or, I’m going to bed if you’re not really tired. But I am. I’ve been up all day and I’ve not been lounging about. I should do my pre-calc, but I couldn’t focus on it if I tried.”

Tracy blinked. And then blinked again. It was eerily lizard-like. “Just like that?”

“He’ll keep. He’ll keep for a good long time. Oh, tomorrow, we’re having the pack over. The situation has certainly changed.”

###### 

Theo sat in the recliner across the basement recreation room from where Josh had flopped onto a couch as they waited for the other chimeras to arrive. Theo had introduced Josh to his fake parents; he could hear them acting their parts upstairs. He wanted to keep his pack calm, so the picture of a real family seemed the best way to do it, even though even the dullest of them had to have figured out something was strange about the Raeken household. Tracy was making sure that his captive wasn’t causing any trouble.

The wait seemed to be awkward for Josh, but it certainly wasn’t awkward for Theo. One of the skills that he had acquired was the ability to pretend to be interested in anything or anyone for hours. It made people feel special; it made them drop them guard. It was easier if he was actually interested in the other person, and he was definitely interested in this particular chimera. Josh had a unique power, which is why Theo chose him as one of the chimera to resurrect. 

Theo broke the uncomfortable silence. “Want something to drink?” 

Josh demurred, but he did raise his head and catch Theo square in the eyes. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I think it’s ‘May I ask you a question?’” Theo replied, automatically. Grammar was important. “And sure. We’re here to get to know each other; questions are going to be helpful.”

“Whatever.” Josh swallowed his irritation at the correction but he couldn’t hide his nervousness. “You killed me, didn’t you?”

Theo froze with that easy smile on his face. He hadn’t expected Josh to remember the fight on the roof of the hospital. Tracy had remembered virtually nothing of her frenzied state. She didn’t remember the assault on the transport van. She didn’t remember killing her father. She didn’t remember fighting the McCall pack. She only remembered the battle in the basement of the sheriff’s station after she had realized she wasn’t asleep at Malia’s urging. 

Theo had assumed that the state would have been the same for all chimera, but it clearly wasn’t. It was only now that he remembered that neither Hayden nor Corey had entered a frenzied state at all.

He wasn’t sure what to say. It was an uncomfortable position for him; Theo was seldom at a loss for words. 

“I did.” He finally decided to go with a version of the truth. “You attacked Stiles and me. I had to defend myself.” Theo saw no reason to make things complicated by confessing that while he could have defeated Josh without killing him, he had decided on the fly to do so in order to blackmail Stiles. One had to improvise sometimes. 

“Why’d you bring me back?” Josh said cautiously. “Why’d you choose me? Was it guilt?”

“No.” Theo couldn’t answer that immediately and confidently. “I didn’t feel any guilt for killing you, but I did see potential. Potential that could benefit both me and you.” 

“Potential?” Josh scoffed suddenly. “I don’t even know what I am.” 

“Yet. I was where you were, once. I had to learn. So can you.” 

Josh shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His body language told Theo that the chimera didn’t particularly desire to learn about his new state. Josh, from his file, wasn’t a particularly ambitious teenager. He was a partier, and he had straight C’s. Theo could work with that. 

Even though the decision to resurrect chimeras had been made while in a frustrated rage, Theo hadn’t been totally random in who he brought back. Josh’s unique and desirable power he had already coveted. Tracy was powerful as a kanima hybrid, and she had become even more useful since she had seemed to imprint on him. Mystically reinforced loyalty was hard to beat.

Theo had chosen Corey because his ability was simply too useful. Theo had been trained to be a very competent fighter, and he knew that Tracy had raw power and good instincts, so he wasn’t lacking primary combatants. On the other hand, invisibility would increase his packs ability to spy and to reconnoiter. 

Hayden he had chosen for reasons beyond her supernatural talents. While she was strong and fast, her nagual aspect would insure that she was never the best team player. Her instincts would be to place herself and what was important to her first above pack. Theo knew he would have to manipulate her carefully, not only to keep her with him, but also because in the end she was his way of neutralizing Liam. Scott’s beta had been so desperately in love with her that he had committed attempted murder. What else could he be made to do as long as she was alive and in Theo’s corner? 

Eventually, his entire pack had assembled in the recreation room. To any outsider, it would have looked like any bunch of teenage friends hanging out together. Theo had supplied them with soda and pizza, and then he had forced himself to let them socialize for a bit. He had so many plans circling in his head that he was eager to get underway, but he had to be sure that he had a pack first. That meant getting them to think of themselves as a pack, which also meant that he needed them to get to know and like each other. He could rule by absolute fear, and he certainly wasn’t averse to employing it if necessary, but in the end, he would prefer that they did what he told them because they wanted to. 

Eventually though, Theo grew tired of making small talk. It was time to move on to his agenda. “Hey, this is great but we do have some serious matters to talk about. Sorry for bringing everyone down.” He wasn’t sorry. 

Everyone except Hayden settled down and waited for him to continue. She, on the other hand, stood up to face him. “I really appreciate this attempt to convince us that we’re normal, but after the week I've had, I’d really like some answers.” 

Theo gestured with both hands for her to continue. 

Hayden brought her voice down to a level where she didn’t think she could be overheard. “You brought us back from the dead. How?”

Theo considered telling her that it was none of her business, but he thought that this was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate to his pack why they had to follow him. He had information they needed. “You were designed for it. The Doctors are trying to bring something back from the dead; since you were their trial runs, you had that ability.” 

Corey looked like he was going to throw up. “Are they … are they going to kill us again?” 

“No,” Theo said confidently. “As long as we stay out of their way, they have no reason to kill us. They only wanted you dead the first time because you contaminated the experiment pool. Their experiments have moved to a different phase.” 

Josh watched him carefully. He wasn’t ambitious, but he was perceptive. The unasked questions was on his face.

Theo looked him in the eye. “I’m like you. I was the first chimera they created. I wasn’t a failure, but I wasn’t what they wanted, either.”

“But you worked for them. You helped them.” Hayden accused. Theo knew that someone would eventually make that accusation. 

“You’ve met them. You’ve seen what they can do. Do you think I had a choice?” Theo spoke with clear conviction, though he also knew that he hadn’t tried very hard to leave them. “I did what I had to in order to survive. I wasn’t strong enough to fight them by myself. In order to make sure that they didn’t kill me as a failed experiment, I made myself useful.”

Hayden narrowed her eyes. “So what happens if they change their minds? What if they decide that we’re still in the way?” Corey still looked like he was going to toss the pizza he just ate.

Josh spoke up. “That’s why you brought us back.”

“I’m your alpha. As a pack, we can keep ourselves safe,” Theo gave his best smile as a reward to Josh. “Even from them. But you have to do what I say. We’re only strong enough together.” 

Tracy had listened silently from the back room. Her entrance was unexpected. “That’s why you tried to take McCall’s pack.” 

Theo eyed Tracy. He didn’t think she was smart enough to figure that out by herself. “He’s been talking, hasn’t he?”

Tracy shrugged. 

“What?” Hayden demanded. “Who’s been talking?” 

“The McCall Pack?” Josh asked. Of them all, he hadn’t been in the know. Tracy had watched over Scott while he was a prisoner, and that pack had tried to protect Hayden and Corey.

Theo ran a tongue over his teeth. Explaining this the right way is going to be the tricky part. “Scott McCall is a werewolf, a real werewolf, not an artificial creature like we are. Beacon Hills is … was his territory. Now it’s ours. The remains of his pack are still out there.”

Josh was stunned. “The captain of the lacrosse team is a werewolf.” He said it slowly as if he didn’t quite believe it.

Hayden’s eyes blazed. “And you pretended to be their friend. You lied to them and betrayed them.” 

“I did.” Theo said it proudly. “Scott McCall wasn’t strong enough to do what was necessary to protect his pack from the Doctors, but he would have fought them anyway. You know that.” He tilted his head to Hayden. “I convinced the Doctors that if I could take over the pack, they wouldn’t be a problem. All I had to do was get rid of their alpha.”

“That’s how you knew where to rescue Liam and me. You did it to convince them you were on their side. You were screwing with them while I was dying.” Hayden’s anger didn’t die. 

“You’re alive now, aren’t you?” Theo returned calmly. Hayden was right, but the sooner she realized that what he had done before didn’t really matter, the better it would be for her and everyone.

“Did you?” Corey asked. At Theo’s glance, he elaborated. “Did you get rid of Scott?” 

Theo chuckled. “Yes and no.” He waited for maximum effect. “I did kill him, but it seems that someone managed to get to him in time to resuscitate him. Alpha werewolves are tough to kill. You’ve seen the movies.”

Hayden tried to keep her face neutral, but she seemed to be glad that Scott was alive. Josh looked like he didn’t care, and Tracy was mirroring his own anticipation. Corey seemed scared, and it confused Theo until he remember that Scott had read his mind out of frustration. 

“But you don’t have to worry about him. While he’s not dead, he’s not a threat to you anymore.” Theo assured Corey. “The Doctors have seen to that.” 

“You gave him to them?” Hayden nearly shouted. “All he did …”

“He tried to stop them and he failed,” Theo replied calmly. “Even Liam recognized that.” 

The mention of Scott’s beta caused a rush of reactions in the room. Tracy and Josh were curious, but for different reasons. Tracy hadn’t been around when Liam had made his move against Scott and Josh hadn’t even realized that the lacrosse player was supernatural. Corey blinked in an interested fashion, but Theo was pretty sure he was only intrigued by Liam because of Liam’s friend Mason. True to her template, the werejaguar-werewolf mix was itching for a fight.

“What about Liam?” Hayden challenged him. She would have challenged him even if she hadn’t had a strain of nagual added. The Doctors matched the personalities of the people they changed to the creatures they changed them into. 

“Oh. You were busy dying at that point. Liam tried to murder Scott for you.” Theo kept a smirk off his face. He watched her expression change from one of anger to one of confusion and then to one of horror. 

“Why?” She choked out.

“He believed that if you were turned into a real werewolf, you could heal. Scott thought you were too weak and would die from the bite.” Theo left his role in that completely out. It had its desired effect. Hayden sat down looking as if she had been told that she could win a million dollars but only if she drowned three puppies by hand.

Theo went on. “As I said, things are changing, but we’re going to be safe if we stick together. I’ll train you to use your new abilities. Follow my lead, and we’ll survive what’s coming.”

“What is coming?” asked Tracy with her usual directness.

“Again, I don’t have names, I only know that the Doctors are trying to resurrect something powerful. They needed a host for this creature. They tried with me and then each one of you, but none of us were good enough. But they succeeded, which is good for us, because they don’t want to kill you anymore. We can protect ourselves and our families. So, ask yourself – do you want to be able to do that? Can I count on you?”

There were all positive answers but to various degrees of enthusiasm. No one was happy with the situation, but they were still terrified by what they had gone through. It was the reason that Theo had called this meeting so quickly. Scared people were easy to guide to the decision you wanted them to make.

###### 

Everyone but Tracy had left for the night. Feeling pretty good, he decided to pay a visit to his prisoner. Scott was sitting on the bed, strangely enough, he had made it. He was also dressed in some of the clothes that Theo had put in the room earlier that day.

Scott kept his gaze fixed on the ground. He didn’t look up when Theo came in. 

“You must be bored sitting in this room all day.” Theo remarked casually.

Scott didn’t answer. 

“I understand. I really do. I wouldn’t want to talk to the guy who has to feed you and walk you to the bathroom three times a day. We’ll have to think of a more permanent solution soon.” Theo enjoyed the flinch that produced. “You could cooperate, you know.” 

“What do you want, Theo?” Scott asked with a degree of exhaustion. 

“I have what I want, Scott. I have a pack. I have you.” Theo chuckled. “You don’t think I’m that greedy do you?”

“I think that all you are is greedy. I think you’ll never stop wanting things.” Scott answered. It wasn’t hostile; it was sad. “But you don’t have a pack.”

Theo glanced over his should towards the living room. “It certainly looks like I have one to me. I have more than a pack than you do, don’t I?” 

“You don’t care about them,” Scott replied. “I could hear your conversation, and it was obvious. And if you don’t care about them, you don’t have a pack.”

“The way you cared about Liam? About Kira? About Stiles?” Theo wanted to twist the knife a little bit. 

“Yeah.” Scott suddenly looked up at him and his eyes flashed red. “The way I cared about them.”

“You used Liam’s girlfriend as bait without telling him. You didn’t talk to Kira about her fox until it was too late. You turned away from Stiles. That’s caring?” 

“Yes.” Scott bit the words out. “But I don’t expect you to understand.”

Theo stepped over the mountain ash. He still wanted Scott to lunge at him. He still wanted to see how quickly he could take control. “Why don’t you tell me?” 

Scott didn’t answer. 

“Let me rephrase that. Tell me. Or maybe we’ll play a little more.” 

Scott looked up at him and his jaw clenched. “Caring about people doesn’t mean you don’t make mistakes. It means doing things for them when there’s nothing in it for you.”

“Turning Stiles away in the middle of that rainstorm was doing something for him?” Theo laughed.

“Yes. If he really murdered someone like you said, it was what I needed to do for him. I don’t really know what happened, but I knew it was tearing him up. If you care about someone, you do things for them even if it hurts you, even if it hurts them, if it’s for the best.” Scott voice got quieter and quieter. “I may have screwed that up, but I always cared.”

Theo folded his hands over his chest. He didn’t feel like he had the upper hand right now and he didn’t like it. “We’ll see, Scott. You keep behaving and the people you care so much about will be safe. I think, though, that you’ll get to watch me make them mine. Won’t that be fun?”

Scott shrugged. “I told you in the library what I thought about that.”

Theo snorted, turned out the light, leaving Scott in the darkness. He paused in the hallway, seething. Then he went to his own room and slammed the door in frustration.


	4. The Furious Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo discovers exactly what is going on with Scott, and he conclusively deals with Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: The story earns its Non-Con tag in this chapter.

Theo stopped by Scott’s room before he left for school; it had become a habit. Scott hurriedly finished pulling a shirt over his head. With as much sincerity as he could muster, Theo asked. “Feeling better?”

Scott did not answer him. It was a small rebellion, and it only bothered Theo a little bit. This wasn’t going to be any fun if the alpha didn’t put up at least a half-way decent struggle.

“Maybe you’ll be strong enough to break the mountain ash barrier today.” Theo suggested. Both his ‘parents’ and Tracy had reported Scott testing the barrier on several occasions. His prisoner had always done it when Theo wasn’t home and when he thought he might have some privacy. 

Scott’s eyes were filled with frustration. He had stopped asking Theo to kill him a few days into his captivity, and after that, he didn’t talk much at all.

“Take your shirt off.” Theo ordered. If Scott had hoped that Theo missed his urgent attempt to cover himself, he was mistaken.

Scott remained silent and defiant. His fists clenched. 

“Take your shirt off or I’ll make you take it off.” Theo stepped over the mountain ash line. He still had not gotten Scott to lunge at him. He couldn’t tell if he had failed because it was Scott’s nature not to resort to violence or because Scott didn’t want to know how quickly Theo could take control of his body.

Scott complied, showing that his wound had healed completely. Theo had figured out that Scott was subconsciously not letting himself heal and taken steps to correct it. “Good as new.”

Theo’s sense of smell wasn’t as precise as a werewolf’s, but he could still perceive the chemo signal for anxiety. “You recognize what’s happening, don’t you?” 

Scott nodded slowly. “But you don’t.” 

“No.” Theo smiled narrowly. The best thing about playing games with someone is you had to let them think they had a chance of winning. It made victory all the sweeter. “Don’t you think it’d be better for both of us if you shared what you knew?”

“No, I don’t want to tell you.” Scott swallowed and his scent soured more. “I don’t want you to know.”

“Why not? I mean, what’s your plan here?” Theo asked reasonably. “How do you think this ends? Obviously I’m not planning to kill you. Obviously, I don’t think you’re a threat to me.” 

“Obviously.” Scott sighed.

“So, it seems to me you’ve got few choices. You can sit here in this bedroom until I get tired of you, or you can kill yourself, or you can face the reality that I’ve won.” Theo nodded. “If you demonstrate to me that you can be loyal and won’t cause any trouble, you could get at least part of your life back.”

Scott’s face showed naked disbelief.

“Don’t look so shocked. You may have wanted to be a vet, Scott, but I know you’ve taken a history class or two. Not every conqueror kills the enemy’s king. Sometimes they set up client states. Vassals. You serve me, and in return I give you a certain degree of independence.”

“No!” Scott didn’t shout, but he was firm.

“What’s your alternative?” Theo kept the same reasonable tone as he interrupted. “You’re not waiting for your friends to rescue you, are you?”

Scott put on his shirt again, stubbornly refusing to answer.

“You understand, don’t you, that they think you’re dead? At least, that’s what I told them.”

“Yeah,” Scott said softly. “I know you’re a good liar.”

Theo nodded agreeably. “It’s strange, though. I’m still going to school every day. I’m still living at the same address. I still drive the same truck I have since I came back. Tracy and I went to the movies the other night. No one bothered us.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that you’ve been ‘dead’ a little over a week, and your pack has already moved on.” Theo twisted the knife. “Now, Lydia can’t do much from Eichen House, and Kira may not even know what happened to you. But the rest of your pack?”

Scott blinked. “They’ve gone through a lot, thanks to you.”

“Still making excuses for them?” Theo smirked. “You’ve saved their lives repeatedly and yet … “

“You’re not going to turn me against them, so stop trying.” Scott’s jaw jutted out mulishly.

“I don’t have to try to turn you against them!” Theo laughed out loud. “That’s the beauty of it. Time will turn you against them. You’ll think about Stiles washing his hands of you when he was the one who betrayed you. You’ll think about how Liam beat you until you were too weak to fight. You’ll think about Malia being so desperate to kill her mother that she was nowhere to be found when you really needed her. All you have to do is think. Well, you’ll have plenty of time to do it.”

Finally, Scott lunged at him. Predictably, the True Alpha didn’t unsheathe his claws; he didn’t go for the kill. He threw Theo up against the wall and got one hand around his neck. He drew back his fist to clock the chimera when he froze.

“Cool.” Theo smirked. “For a long time, I thought I had to be the one to initiate the touch.” He willed Scott to let him go and the alpha did. “Maybe if you had slashed my throat, you could have gotten away. Tsk.”

Scott didn’t reply. He stood there, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. 

“Come on, Scott. You can’t really enjoy being my bitch this much?” He laughed and made Scott sit down on the bed. He was about to go on when he realized he had done it without touch. “What the hell?”

Scott whimpered in the back of his throat. The alpha knew what was happening to him and was extraordinarily terrified by it. 

Theo walked away without another word. He had scored a few points in the game, but he still didn’t really understand what was happening. This was going to torment him until he figured it out.

###### 

Theo barely paid attention to the lecture in Mrs. Finch’s biology class. Instead, he scribbled down ideas onto a pad of paper. He was trying to brainstorm what the Doctors had done to Scott, but he wasn’t getting anywhere. It was still more interesting than Finch’s lecture.

He’d only taken the class to be close to Scott, anyway.

His phone chimed with only five minutes left in the class. Theo had set the notification so only those people with supernatural hearing could detect it. That prevented teachers from getting angry. He glance down at it, surreptitiously. It was from Corey.

_stiles and liam are going to meet in the boiler room after class_

Now, unable to distract himself with brainstorming or anything, Mrs. Finch and her amazing blackboard art made the few remaining minutes until the class ended drag like the day before summer vacation. Theo almost walked out regardless of the clock. Almost.

Theo had gotten to the top of the stairs own when he heard Liam’s pleading. “I don’t know what to do, Stiles. I know I messed up, but I can’t … Hayden’s alive … Mason ... I don’t know what to do.”

Stiles voice was cold. “Why is that my problem? I don’t care about you anymore. I don’t care about Hayden. I don’t care about your starring roles in the return engagement of Beacon Hill’s annual retelling of _Romeo and Juliet_. As for you messing up, running naked through the streets is messing up. This was attempted murder. Don’t you dare blame it on the supermoon. I’ve seen werewolf moon mad before, and they don’t run across town to attack people.”

“I did. I’m sorry. I’d do anything to take it back, but I can’t … I can’t make up for it if I lose control.”

“Make up for it? How can you make up for it? In the end, he chose you and Hayden over me, and you still tried to kill him.” Stiles snapped with frustration transformed into biting rage. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re as guilty of his death as Theo is.” 

Theo smiled. They were barely listening to each other, lost in their own grief. It was time for his entrance. 

“Did I hear someone mention my name?” Theo announced on his way down the steps into the boiler room.

Stiles turned to face him. He looked better physically than he had when he had last confronted Theo. He had gotten some sleep. He’d showered and groomed himself. He didn’t look so wildly desperate. Instead, he looked angry, bitter, and focused. 

Theo’s smile grew a fraction wider. 

“I’ll leave you co-conspirators to your scheming,” Stiles spat. In a show of bravado, he stormed right past Theo and up the stairs, leaving his back open. 

Theo and Liam stared at each other in the dim light of the basement. Liam was shaking in a combination of rage and despair. Theo knew it was time for a little nudge.

“You know he’s going to come for you, right?” Theo said as softly as if he cared.

“What?” As expected, Liam was startled out of his own head. 

“Stiles. Eventually, he’s going to come for you.” Theo wasn’t sure if he actually believed that. Stiles had only really hurt people when he was possessed, when it was self-defense, or when he was sure that the person wouldn’t hit back, which meant Scott. But now that Stiles was relying on the memories of the void to get by? It could go either way.

Liam’s response was exactly what you would think a sixteen-year-old’s response would be. “He’s going to come for you, too. You killed Scott.”

“I did what I had to do.” Theo’s voice was gentle. “You did what you thought you had to do.”

“You manipulated me!” There went Liam’s eyes, blazing a disappointing yellow. 

“I think if you try to remember, you’ll recall I never suggested you kill Scott. I simply laid out the alternatives for saving Hayden and when the time came, I let you in past the mountain ash.” Theo let himself sound wounded and disappointed. “Did I suspect you were capable of it? Yes. Did I count on it? Yes. But the decision was yours and yours alone. But we should focus on the future.” 

Liam looked like Theo had smacked him upside the head. His gaze dropped to the floor beneath him as he struggled to find an answer to what the chimera had said. When he looked up, there was a shallow defiance. It was sort of pathetic, since it was the only thing Liam could do now. “What do you mean?”

“I have a pack.” Theo explained as if it should be self-evident. “Stiles has some tactical skill, but he’s a human being with no real combat training. If he tries to go it alone against a pack, it’d be a suicide mission. He’s not that dumb. You, on the other hand, are alone. He might try to take you out.”

“Hayden told me about your pack.” Liam took a step forward, balling his fists. He was planning to fight Theo right there and now. 

“It could be your pack too, if you acknowledge me as your alpha.”

Keeping Liam off balance was easy. He was a very passionate, feeling person. “What? You’ve got to be kidding!”

“You’re not a beta anymore, Liam.” Theo added with as much concern as he could muster. “You’re an omega. Without an alpha, without a pack, you’ll become unstable, even more than you feel right now. Who’s going to be the next person you beat to death when you lose control? Mason? Your parents?”

“I would never …”

“You’d never hurt someone you cared about? The only reason you didn’t murder Scott yourself is because Mason showed up. Unless you’re going to tell me you didn’t care about Scott at all.”

Liam sagged and any light of defiance left his eyes. Mason was his anchor and he loved his parents dearly, Theo knew, and a threat against them would get him to focus. 

“I’m doing you a favor with this offer, Liam, because, and I have to be frank, letting you join is not a particularly good risk right now.” Theo put out his hand and approached the omega as if he were trying to tame a wild animal. “You might be able to fight Stiles off, but there are others coming after you who won’t be such amateurs.”

Liam watched the hand like it was a snake. “Others?”

“You helped kill the True Alpha of this century. The nearest werewolf pack is Satomi’s, and they aren’t going to care about me or the Super Moon. They were under the same sky and they didn’t kill anybody. You think _any_ werewolf pack that knew Scott is going to take you in when they figure out what they did? Unless you run from Beacon Hills, I’m the only option you’ve got.”

“I don’t have to join your pack or any pack. Scott didn’t join Derek’s.” Liam’s voice wavered. 

“Scott didn’t. He did try to kill Stiles on his first full moon. What was this? Your eighth? Ninth? Let’s face it, you don’t have enough control.”

Liam started to walk away. “I’m not joining your pack.” 

Theo winced. He had pressed too hard. “Look. Liam, come on. I know it’s not ideal, but even if you aren’t afraid of the other werewolves or Stiles, even if you don’t like me, even if you think you can control yourself around your family and friends, you’re going to need me to survive.”

Liam stopped with his back still to Theo. Theo must have spoken hit one of Liam’s own fears. 

“You have more enemies than friends right now, and we haven’t even talked about the Argents. What do you think Chris Argent is going to do when he comes back?” Theo saved his best card for last. “He abandoned three centuries of Tradition for Scott. I can tell you I’m worried about when the Argents return. I’m worried that he’s going to rethink which Code he follows.” 

Liam started walking again. Theo barely caught the sob when Liam thought he was out of hearing range.

###### 

After school, Theo went to the primary Operating Theater of the Doctors. He still had access, which gave him some small sense of relief. He had been so busy with his new pack and with Scott that he hadn’t discovered if they still considered him an ally.

All three Doctors were present and performing some experiment about which Theo had no clue. He stood there next to Der Soldat’s tank, waiting patiently for the Surgeon to take notice of him. The eldest of the Doctors was working in his shirtsleeves; his heavy coat shed. Theo always wondered where exactly the Surgeon shopped for such jaunty vests. 

“Theo Raeken.” The Surgeon turned to face him.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Theo said carefully but with confidence. The Doctor’s behavior with Scott McCall, while opening up all sorts of interesting avenues for him, had been so out-of-character that Theo still was still shaken by it. “I mean … look, I can control McCall now, but I don’t understand why. If you wouldn’t mind …”

The Surgeon seemed pleased. One of his eye-piece slide into place. “Potential actualized.”

Theo gritted his teeth in frustration at the way they were content to leave him stumbling around in the dark. “I’m not complaining, and I’m grateful, because … hell, you’ve given me an alpha as a personal slave, but the situation has me worried. I don’t know the limits, and he’s broken mental control before.” 

“Pre-existing pathways were utilized and reinforced.” The Surgeon intoned. As an explanation, the Surgeon went to another table and lifted a strange device that was designed to nestle along the spine. Theo had little understanding of what it did, but he understood that it was one of the devices that modified a chimera’s frequency. Every one of the chimera had been implanted with one for a brief time.

Theo stood there, thinking as the Doctors returned to their experiment. He thought about what he could do, the terror in Scott’s eyes, and the Surgeon’s limited explanation. _Pre-existing_ meant that this had happened before. 

Theo snapped his fingers. “Kate Argent.”

“Pre-existing pathways,” confirmed the Surgeon, without turning around.

The Pathologist spoke up from where he was moving some equipment. “Nagual were-forms exhibit telepathic control.”

“But that’s only of people possessed by a Berserker spirit.” Theo said. “Scott drove the spirit out.” 

The Pathologist paused while lifting an enormous device, turned his head to look at him, and then continued on the task at hand. It was their equivalent of a scoff. 

“But the changes that La Loba made to Scott while turning him into a Berserker didn’t just vanish. She couldn’t control Scott once the spirit was gone because her power requires those spirits’ presence.” Theo reasoned out loud. “That’s why Scott recognized what my control felt like, and that’s why he’s so terrified.” He had learned over time that the Doctors appreciated it when he was clever. “You augmented the changes Kate made and altered them with an implant that’s attuned to my frequency.”

“Minimum effort required.” The Surgeon spoke, again without turning around. 

“My control grows every time I make him do things, because I’m slowly fine tuning the device to my frequency. Eventually, I won’t even have to speak to him.” Theo laughed out loud.

“Practice makes perfect.” The Geneticist was the funniest of all the Doctors, though her humor was an acquired taste.

It struck Theo that the Doctors had fulfilled one unspoken promise; while he may not be an alpha, he controlled one in every way possible. When stripped of Scott’s consciousness and morality, he had an alpha werewolf that he could use to do anything. He could even make more werewolves. 

“What do you need me to do?” Theo asked. The Doctors didn’t do anything unless it benefited their long-term plans.

“Strengthen your pack.” The Surgeon commanded. 

Theo nodded. He was going to do that anyway. “Nothing else?” 

The Surgeon went back to working. That was a clear answer of ‘no.’ Theo felt that was strange, but who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth? He had a full plate right now. The Doctors had given him a second chance to have everything he wanted.

###### 

Theo was relaxing on the living room couch watching the World Poker’s Championships with a soda and some nacho. Scott was in his room having freshly showered and eaten a real meal. Making that happen had been really fun. Tracy, for some reason that Theo couldn’t fathom, was doing laundry in the basement. He was, remarkably, content.

He answered his phone. “This is Theo.” 

“Theo.” It was Liam. “I was wondering if I … if we could talk.” 

“We _are_ talking.” He wondered if Scott could hear him from the bedroom. 

“I mean, face to face.” Liam sounded desperate. “I don’t think I can do this over the phone.”

“Fair enough. Where do you want to meet?” Theo didn’t think this was going to be an ambush, but he wasn’t going to take any chances with it.

“The bridge.” Liam said with some trepidation. 

“Fine. Forty-five minutes.” He hung up the phone. “Tracy!” He called out even though he didn’t have to. 

She appeared from the basement and he told her that they were going to a meeting. She cut eyes at the room down the hall. Theo nodded and then led her to the garage. Once they were away, she turned to him. 

“What if he escapes?” 

“You can’t achieve anything, Tracy, unless you risk something. Scott’s always been about saving people, and he knows that I’ve threatened to kill someone he cares about if he escapes. He also knows that he can no longer fight me personally, as I’ll take him over. I know the story of his adventures in Mexico; what’s the worst thing that he can imagine?” 

Tracy, who had her own history of nightmares, remained quiet.

“He could imagine me using him to kill someone he cares about in punishment. Unless he has a way to stop me, he won’t risk it. I don’t think he knows a way to stop it; he’s always relied on Stiles and Lydia to help him solve mysteries.”

“So, you’re betting he won’t try to escape yet.” Tracy suggested.

“If he does escape, I’ll make him kill someone. If he doesn’t escape, than I know I am one more step to owning him completely. Win-win.” Theo chuckled. “Stay out of sight. If it’s not an ambush, then I don’t want him to know you’re here.” 

Tracy did as she was instructed. Theo didn’t think it would be an ambush. Who did Liam have to ambush him with? The only possibility that put him on edge was Argent, and he hadn’t seen any sign of the hunter being back. 

Liam was standing on the bridge, alone. 

“You wanted to speak to me?” Theo glanced into the water. 

“Was it an act?” Liam asked. 

Theo considered the question. “No. I regret my sister’s death. I don’t regret what it brought me.” 

“You killed her?” Liam was shocked, as expected.

“It’s complicated,” Theo sighed. “Like everything else in this world. I did what I did because it had to happen. I did horrible things to protect myself. I did horrible things in order to get what I want.”

Liam close his eyes, but he clawed at the wood of the bridge. “How do I know you’re not trying to manipulate me again?” 

“I am trying to manipulate you, Liam, to get what I want.” Theo said gently. “You’re strong, so you would make my pack stronger. You’d make Hayden happy, so you would make my pack stronger. But just because I’m trying to get what I want doesn’t mean you can’t get something out of it as well.”

“What …” Liam looked at him, eyes bright yellow. “What do I get out of it?”

“You get to live. I didn’t lie about what I think is going to happen.” Theo actually hadn’t. He did think that a lot of people were going to come after Liam. “You get to be with a pack that doesn’t hate you for what you did. You get to be with Hayden. You get your parents’ and Mason’s safety. Isn’t that enough?”

“I … it feels worse than what I’ve already done.” Liam looked helplessly at the sky. 

“It _is_ worse. You have to make a choice, like I did.” 

For a moment, Theo felt sorry for the sophomore. This had to be a terrible situation to find yourself in. Packless, a danger to your loved ones, and ridden by guilt. Theo was glad he didn’t have to worry about any of that.

“All right.” Liam wiped something away from his eyes. “I’ll do it.”

Theo studied the omega for clues about his state. Liam was distraught, emotionally vulnerable, and without any other options. But Liam had been in that state before, and things had changed. He needed more.

“I have to think of my pack, Liam, so I’m going to need you to prove your intentions. You’re going to have to do something.” Theo said with a firm voice.

Liam, for his part, didn’t protest. “What do you want me to do?” 

“Blow me.” At Liam’s startled laugh, Theo frowned. “I mean it. I have to make sure of your commitment. You get me off, and I’ll know this isn’t a trick.”

Theo watched with detached interest. He broadcast determination, so Liam would know it was serious. He mentally urged Liam to give in. If he did, he’d have broken his new beta completely. Broken things could be rebuilt into any shape desired.

Minutes stretched in the middle of the night. Theo impassively watched the revulsion and the resignation war on Liam’s face. They stood watching each other above the place where he let his sister die. 

When Liam got down on his knees, Theo allowed himself a small but triumphant smile.


	5. The Sage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo may have dismissed Mason as a problem, but Mason definitely does not agree with that. Neither do the Doctors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: While there is no non-con in this chapter, people do speak about it.

Theo was sitting in the library working on a paper for history class. He had decided to write about Operation Mincemeat during World War II, where the British used a homeless man who had died by accidentally eating rat poison to trick the Germans into thinking that the Allies were going to invade Greece rather than Sicily. They had dumped the body out of the submarine and it had washed up on a Spanish beach. It was fascinating stuff, and he was actually pretty excited to write the paper.

One of the things that drew Theo to this particular event in history was that the whole thing had required the utmost faith by the British in what they were doing and the utmost faith that the Germans would believe what they wanted them to believe. A million things could have gone wrong. The body could have washed up on the Spanish beach but no one could have found it. Ocean scavengers could have eaten too much of the body to be recognized as a naval officer. Seawater could have ruined the ‘secret plans.’ But it had worked, and wasn’t that beautiful?

Theo had already completed an outline for the paper, found his sources, and was working on a rough draft, and the paper wasn’t due for three weeks. He didn’t intend to let this enthusiasm go to waste as he steadily typed on his laptop. So engrossed was he in the writing, that he barely paid attention when a person sat down across from him at the same library table. Theo didn’t need to be wary. After all, he doubted anyone was going to start any trouble in the middle of the library, and everyone who could hurt him was accounted for.

On the other hand, it was the library; a lot of weird things had happened there. Finally, Theo looked up to see that it was Mason. The human didn’t have any work with him, but he was staring at Theo, very intently.

“Go away.” Theo had little interest in talking to Liam’s friend.

“I don’t think I will,” Mason countered. “I want to talk to you.” 

“What makes you think that I would want to talk to you?” Theo responded sarcastically. It was mild and meant to dismiss the other person; Mason didn’t matter to his plans one way or the other.

“Because I have information that I think you would want to have. And I’m willing to give it to you, if you are willing to answer a few of my questions.” Mason’s voice quavered a bit as he made his offer. Theo, now that he was paying attention, could smell the fear and anxiety coming from the human, but the look in the eyes indicated determination to overcome that fear. 

Theo tilted his head and studied him. “So, tell me what information you have and I’ll let you know if it’s important enough for me to answer your questions.”

“No, no.” Mason said firmly. “That’s not how this works. You’ll trust me to tell you the information after I get answers for my questions.” 

“And why would I do that?” This earned Mason one of Theo’s best smiles.

“Because I’m a good guy, and you’re not. I don’t lie to get ahead, and you do. You know that I’ll keep my word.” Mason’s scent included now a hint of anger. “I’m taking a gamble, but I think it’s a good one.”

“I’m a realist, Mason.” Theo protested. “It’s the only reasonable way to live. But if I’m such a bad guy, I could just beat the information out of you.”

Steel showed itself in Mason’s eyes and posture. “Not here you won’t.”

Theo considered the time, the place, and the fact that Mason was both brave and intelligent. When confronted with the supernatural, he hadn’t run. Instead, he had begun to explore it with courage and thoroughness. There was a small possibility that he had information that Theo would find useful. “Fine, but it’s going to be _quid pro quo_.” 

“Fine.” Mason echoed him. “I go first. How did you convince Liam to join your pack?” 

“Oh, that was easy.” Of course, Mason would ask about Liam first. “I convinced him that it would be best for everyone if he was with me.” 

“How could that possibly be for the best?” Mason was outraged.

Theo was going to have fun with this. Mason had thwarted his initial plan, and Theo wasn’t above a bit of pettiness. “I simply told the truth. He belongs with me. Maybe you haven’t noticed this, but while you might be a good guy, he’s not.”

“That’s not true!” 

“Liam’s been a problem child since before he was a werewolf. When we researched him, it was amazing how much trouble he got into. The fights. The vandalism.” 

“He has a disorder!” Mason protested. 

“Which is a cause, not an excuse. How often did he skip his medication?” Theo raised both eyebrows. “Pretty selfish, wasn’t it?”

“We were freshmen, okay?” Mason wasn’t prepared for the line of questioning, Theo could tell. He had expected that Theo would gloat about how clever he was. Theo tried never do what his opponents thought he was going to do.

“Most freshmen don’t commit attempted murder.” Theo chuckled.

“It was the Supermoon and it was the tension around what _you_ were doing and it was his I.E.D. and it was about saving Hayden. Even Scott tried to kill Stiles when he was first turned.” Mason explained defensively as if he had said the same things before.

“Your loyalty is touching, Mason, but it doesn’t change the facts. I heard the story, too. Scott tried to kill Stiles on his first full moon. What was this, Liam’s eighth? Scott tried to kill Stiles when Stiles came across him in the locker room. Liam tracked Scott down to kill him. I know, because I’m the one who helped him. Scott was non-verbal. Liam couldn’t stop talking about how much he wanted to kill Scott. Stiles brought Scott out of it with a fire extinguisher. You had to run your little ass all the way to the library and tell him that Hayden was already dead. And finally, and most importantly, Scott didn’t hurt Stiles. He didn’t even touch him.” Theo shrugged. “There’s a difference between the two of them.”

Mason’s determination was wavering. “Liam’s still a good person.”

“A good person who joined my pack to save his own ass.” Theo sensed that his assault was having its desired effect. Time for the coup de grace. “Did Liam tell you what he did to prove his loyalty?” 

Mason shook his head. Of course, Liam hadn’t mentioned it. 

Theo leaned over the table so no one would have the chance to overhear it. It didn’t really make any sense for him to do it as they had just been talking about murder, but Theo wanted to convey his absolute sincerity. “He went down on me, like a champ. It was _awesome_. Did you teach him to do that?” 

Mason’s pulse rate spiked from across the table. His scent was tainted with the stench of disgust and the tiniest bit of jealousy. 

“I guess not.” Theo laughed. Friendships, in the end, were fragile, cumbersome things. They could be shattered with a gentle push, and the shards were sharp as hell. 

“You bastard.” Mason hissed. He then straightened up and kept his word. “Chris Argent is back in town.” 

“That’s your information?” Theo sniggered. “Tell me something useful.”

“He’s not alone. He’s got a half-dozen hunters. He’s got Isaac Lahey. He’s got his father.” Mason’s confidence started to come back since that the topic had changed. 

Theo considered that. It was useful information. He had expected one Argent back, but not so many, and certainly not Gerard Argent. He would have to be more careful. “Fair enough.” 

“There’s been nine missing person’s cases in the last week,” Mason stated. “Do you know what’s happening with them?”

“Not a clue.” This was not a lie. He had been so focused on his pack and on Scott that he hadn’t even paid attention to what the Doctors were doing. 

“You expect me to believe that?” Mason demanded.

“I don’t care if you believe it, but I don’t know what the Doctors are up to. I was a minion, Mason, not a mastermind.” 

“You could have fooled me,” Mason said testily. 

“Technically, I fooled all of you. That doesn’t mean I have access to the Doctors’ ultimate plan. All I know is that it is well under way.” Theo replied casually.

“This … doesn’t bother you.”

“Why should it? I’m getting what I want. I have a pack. I have Liam.” Theo let the name drag out a little bit. “Give me time, maybe I’ll get everyone I want.” 

“You think you’re going to keep them?” Mason said quietly. It was a challenge.

“Why not? Who’s going to take them from me? The Argents have to handle the Doctors first. There’s no one else to stop me. Kira’s gone. Lydia’s in Eichen. You’re not a threat. Stiles is a basket case. Liam’s mine. Malia’s … busy with something.” Theo shrugged easily. “If the Argents beat the Doctors, then I’ll start worrying.” 

Mason and Theo stared at each other. Finally, Theo said, “Your turn.” 

“I know what Parrish is, and, now, so does he.” Mason offered. “I retraced Lydia’s steps.” 

Theo never let the smile leave his face, but he had wanted to prevent that from happening for as long as he could. “I already know that.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry that the information was worthless to you.” Mason wasn’t sorry at all. 

“It’s good enough. Knowing that Parrish has that knowledge is well worth anything I might tell you.” Theo could play at that game as well. “Why are you doing this?”

Mason looked puzzled. 

“Your pack’s gone. Liam’s joined me on his own free will. What do you get out of this?”

Mason shook his head. “It’s the right thing to do. You wouldn’t understand.” 

“I understand more than you think. I understand that you’re going to get yourself hurt or killed if you keep putting yourself at risk.” 

Mason shrugged as if that was the point. “So you don’t understand why I do what I do. I don’t understand how you were able to bring the chimeras back from the dead.”

“Oh, that’s simple. I was able to bring them back because they were made to be brought back.” Theo explained. “It’s not something I could do for anyone. Only for them.”

Mason calculated that in his head. His eyes lit up. “Okay. Thanks for talking to me, Theo.”

“Hey, hey. _Quid pro quo_.” Theo reached out and tugged on Mason’s sleeve. “You owe me.” 

Mason got up from the table. “You’re right. Here’s some information for you. I don’t think Scott McCall is dead.” He walked away. 

_Fuck_ , Theo thought. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_. He got up slowly. If he ran after Mason, then it would be as much as confirming that he was right. If he didn’t go after Mason, it would also be confirmation. Theo wasn’t ready for people to know that he now had Scott under his control. 

He caught up with Mason outside and plastered a huge smile on his face. Easy. Confident. Cocky. “That’s a pretty big bomb to drop and then leave. I’m really curious why you think that he’s still alive when everyone else thinks he’s dead.”

“It doesn’t fit. If you had killed him, you’d want us to know it. You’d want us to see the body.” Mason tried to walk away and Theo, rather than grabbing him, fell into step beside him.

“I think you’re blinded by false hope, not that it means anything to me.” Theo replied. “Everyone else thinks he’s dead, including Stiles. You think you’re smarter than Stiles? Remember, not only has he been involved in this world a lot longer than you have, he has never trusted me from day one. If I convinced him …”

“Stiles is smart.” Mason protested. “But Stiles is … Stiles is damaged. You know about how his mother died, you know about his role in Scott’s transformation, you know about the nogitsune. It’s not a big leap; you had to know about it to do the things you did. Then you know that Stiles sees everything through the lens of his own experience. The worst possible thing that could happen in his mind would be that Scott died because of him, so that is exactly what he sees. And you want him to see it that way.”

“I don’t want him to see it that way. It’s what happened, and your denial isn’t going to change that.”

“No.” Mason leans forward. “My father is a lawyer; he taught me about logic. My mother is a preacher; she taught me about sin. People have characteristics, and they act according to them. Stiles focuses on himself; if he were in your position, he’d kill Scott. Stiles’ sin is wrath; he can’t imagine anyone not wanting to kill threats. But that’s not your motivation. Your sin is greed. If all you wanted to do was destroy the pack, you could have done that by letting Lydia, Malia, and Liam die, but that’s not what you wanted.”

“And what do I want?”

“The same thing you’ve always wanted: power. You’ve got the chimeras, but you still want more. That’s why you helped Stiles cure his father. That’s why you offered Liam your protection. You don’t want to destroy them; you want to own them.” 

“Maybe I do. It must burn that I don’t want you.” Theo snickered. “That doesn’t explain why you think Scott is alive.”

Mason’s mouth twisted. “Low blow. Scott’s alive because there’s no alpha. I learned about the Hale fire. I learned about everything. When Talia Hale died, her power passed to Laura Hale. Who did Scott’s power pass to? It didn’t pass to Liam. If it had passed to Derek Hale, he’d been here on the next plane. If it had passed to Isaac Lahey, it wouldn’t have taken Chris Argent ten days to get here. It didn’t pass to Peter Hale; I checked at Eichen House.”

It was easy to lie when you were dealing with such an obscure topic. Theo kept to the truth as much as possible. “Talia Hale was trapped in a burning building. She had plenty of time to realize she was going to die and will her power to her heir. Scott was unconscious when I cut him in half. The alpha power died with him.”

Mason shook his head in derision. “No. Nope. I’m not buying it. People like you don’t do the things you do and then pass up the opportunity for more power. If Scott was unconscious, you’d take him. And if Scott was conscious, he would have passed the power down if he realized he was going to die.” 

Theo ground his teeth. Mason was close enough to the truth to be dangerous. “Believe what you want. It doesn’t make a difference, does it? There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“You see, that’s where you’re wrong. The thing about people like me and Stiles is that we don’t have to be the one with the weapons or the claws or the one who gets into the line of fire to stop the bad guys. All we have to do is tell the right people the right things. And I have Chris Argent and Jordan Parrish in my phone’s contacts.”

Theo laughed because that was the only thing he could do. Even though it was obvious that Mason was firm in his conviction, conviction wasn’t confirmation. He couldn’t push anymore. 

Eventually they parted to go to their next classes. Theo fought to main focus for rest of the day as the remaining hours crept by. He kept an eye out for Mason and had all his pack do so as well. He decided that he would have to kill him. If he put it in the minds of Argent or Parrish that Scott was still alive, it would seriously disrupt his long-term plans. Theo didn’t like the thought of killing – he’d been reluctant to do it with Scott – but sometimes you simply had to get your hands dirty.

When school finally ended, Theo followed Mason out to the main parking lot. His plan was to follow Mason to his home and take care of him there. He watched the human get into his car and pull out. He jumped in his truck … which wouldn’t start.

Theo frowned and popped the hood of his truck. His first idea was that Mason had somehow sabotaged his truck, giving himself time to escape. But he had never credited the human with that much foresight. He rummaged under the hood, trying to figure out if something had been damaged or malfunctioning. To his eyes, everything was in good shape. It should start. He kept good care of the truck; it wouldn’t do to have it break down when he needed to get somewhere fast.

Minutes passed. He was going to miss his window of opportunity. He jumped back into the truck and tried to start it again. What the hell was going on?

Suddenly, the Pathologist was at the window of the truck. Theo gaped at him but it made everything clear. The Doctor was preventing his car from starting. “Look, I gotta get that guy! He’s figured out, somehow, that my prisoner’s alive!” 

“No interference.” The Pathologist intoned. 

“I’m not interfering! But if he tells the Argents, who are back by the way, I’m going to have a fight on my hands!” Theo was confused. He tried to start the truck again. 

“No interference.” The Pathologist insisted. 

Theo looked up at the Doctor in frustration. “I’m not going to ask why, because you aren’t going to tell me, but you don’t want me to hurt him?” 

The Pathologist nodded.

“Fine. Will you at least let me start my car? I’ve got to Scott to a safer location.” Theo bit his lip. “I mean, I need to move Scott before they find him.” 

The Pathologist stepped back. It must be great to have the ability to make people who see you forget about you, because this was the middle of the damn school parking lot! Who would try to deal with supernatural activity there when people were leaving school? 

Theo pulled out a little too forcefully. It wasn’t until he was halfway home that it occurred to him. Why were the Doctors so interested in protecting Mason?

###### 

“What is this place?” Scott asked. He was carrying luggage from the truck. He had maintained his sullen silence throughout the trip, but he had been cooperative. Theo figured that Scott wanted to avoid Theo taking him over as much as possible. Theo liked Scott being cooperative. It made him feel warm inside. 

Theo found the junction box and turned on the industrial lights. “It’s an old cannery. The Doctors were planning to turn it into an Operating Theater but they decided against it after getting half-way done. Now, it’s going to be your home.” He gestured back the walls. “There’s mountain ash framing around the base of the building. Should remind you of your actual former home.”

Scott did not respond to the taunt; he threw the luggage down. There was clothing, camping supplies, a sleeping bag, and other things to make him comfortable. 

“I thought you’d appreciate the change of scenery, Scott?” Theo chuckled.

“What do you want, Theo?” Scott demanded again, as he had so many times. 

“I have what I want. You’ll do what I say, when I say it, or I’ll make you do it. Why is that hard for you to understand? You don’t have a choice anymore.” Theo sighed. “Eventually, I’m sure that you’ll come to enjoy this.”

Scott crossed his arms and glowered. Theo could tell that the alpha was bored and lonely and frightened, even if he didn’t admit it. 

“Or you could try and kill me, because that’s the only way you’ll ever be free of me. But you better move fast and make it count.” 

“It’s like you want me to kill you. Do you …” Scott literally bit his tongue and turned away. Theo smelled the blood. 

Theo laughed. “I’m a patient man, Scott, and we have all the time in the world.” 

“I don’t think so. You moved me. Is someone getting suspicious?” Scott walked to Theo. “Are things not going according to plan?” 

Theo got in to Scott’s face. “Not really. There is no plan. I’ve got too much to do to sit down and have a plan. If there is a state where you’ve won too much, I’ve reached it. Frankly, I’m so distracted …”

Theo’s voice trailed off with his thoughts. He had been distracted. First the Surgeon had given him Scott as a weapon and then they had forbidden him from interfering with Mason. He hadn’t guessed at the reason, and he had put it to the side. Maybe he shouldn’t have.

Scott looked at him. “Something the matter?” There was an ounce of concern in Scott’s voice. Weakling.

Theo felt his stomach turn. One reason they might have for giving him Scott is to keep him from focusing on what they were doing without turning him into an enemy.

“God damn it.”


	6. Master and Servant

There were no stars as Theo pulled into the high school’s mostly deserted parking lot; the clouds were too thick. It was after nine, so technically, there should be no one else at the school, but he had gotten a frantic call from Liam. The newest member of his pack had seen something, so Theo had hurried there and, as a precaution, brought Tracy with him. It wasn’t as if he doubted Liam’s loyalty … no, it was exactly that he doubted Liam’s loyalty. He had broken the omega werewolf, but Theo had yet to reshape Liam into his image.

There was no indication it was an ambush and honestly, it could be taken as a sign of obedience. Theo had told his pack to be open to signs of supernatural trouble or any clues to the plague of missing persons. Though, most likely, those missing people were probably going to be ending up as murder victims. Ultimately, he wanted to know what his patrons were up to. 

There was actually one car in the parking lot, but Theo didn’t recognize it. He knew Liam didn’t have a car of his own, even though he had turned sixteen a few weeks ago. Perhaps Dr. Geyer didn’t think the boy was able to handle that responsibility yet.

Liam was at the truck before the engine was off, ready to share what he had learned like an eager child. This wasn’t any sort of enthusiasm for his new pack, The understood; it was habit. Liam had always been able to go to Scott and Stiles immediately before. When things were happening, it must have offered some comfort. Theo wasn’t going to let that reflex go to waste.

“There was growling coming from the school, and something that smells … off.” Liam shoved his hands into his jeans in irritation. 

“Well, that’s helpful. Could you be any more vague?” Tracy had little patience for Liam. She didn’t understand why Theo wanted him with them, but then again, she also didn’t have any idea how strong the omega really was. 

Theo, turned away from the pair of them, studying the school with his own senses. Something did smell _off_ , but he could also smell, underneath the strange odor, fresh blood. He couldn’t yet sense anything else threatening: no sound or movement. “Okay. We’ll go in as a group. Keep alert and no one attacks anything without my say so. We really don’t want a confrontation with the Doctors.”

They had barely started towards the school’s doors when the night was cut in half by a roar so powerful it rattled the windows of the school. The trio froze in their own steps as the echoes died out. Once it was completely gone, Theo turned away from the doors and headed down to the bushes. Tracy followed without needing any instruction, but Liam inched closer to the doors trying to listen. Theo couldn’t tell if it was the bravest thing he had ever seen or the dumbest.

“Liam. Get your ass down here, now.” Theo snarled as loud as he dared, hoping that whatever had roared couldn’t hear it. 

Liam stared at him. There was a flicker of defiance on his face, before the weight of the last few weeks came crashing down upon the younger boy. Theo wasn’t surprised at it; as he had noted, Liam was broken, not owned. Finally, Liam scrambled down to the bushes where they were going to hide mere seconds before the doors burst open and something emerged.

Theo was clever, self-confident, and the First Chimera and even his mind shut down with fear when he saw the Beast emerge from the school.

For a moment, all the scheming had dropped into nothingness. For a moment, there was no rank between them. For a moment, there was nothing in the past and nothing in the future, only three scared children hiding in the bushes.

The shadowed nightmare given form paused to sniff the air, and their hearts seized in their chests. The animal parts of their brains started in pulse in time with the blood rushing in their veins: fight or flight, fight or flight, fight or flight.

With a bellowing snort, the monstrous creature moved on, tearing away from the school, leaving droplets of fresh blood. 

Minutes passed slowly. Like rabbits, they froze in the bushes until they were sure the predator was gone. Their breathing slowed. Their hearts settled. “What the hell was that?” Tracy hissed in the darkness. She had fully shifted without being aware of it. Her reptilian eyes glinted in the darkness.

Theo had read many of the books that the Doctors had kept while he spent years with them. “That was La Bête de Gévaudan.” That was what they had brought back: the deadliest werewolf known to history. 

Liam was making an effort to pull his claws in. He looked up, still trying to master his fear. “It killed someone in the school.”

Theo shrugged. Liam was probably right. Killing was the Beast did best. “No one we care about, obviously. Why do idiots still come to this school after nightfall? It’s the closest thing California has to a suicide booth.” 

Tracy put a hand on Theo’s arm. It wasn’t insistent, but she was obviously frightened. “Could you share a little more? I don’t know what that La Bête de Whatsis means.”

“Nothing good. There was a serial killer in the eighteenth century who became a werewolf. The Doctors’ experiments must have been designed to resurrect it.” Theo frowned, calculating something internally. “It makes sense. After so long, its body would be dust. They would have had to find a way to give it one.”

“Why would they do that?” Tracy was still in shock. “What can it do?”

“That didn’t look like any werewolf I’ve ever seen!” Liam exclaimed. 

“That’s because it’s not like any werewolf you’ve ever seen.” Theo gestured. “Let’s get back to the truck. I’ll tell you as we walk.” He took a few minutes to remember all that he had learned under the Doctors’ tutelage and to put it into the right words. “You’re a bitten werewolf, Liam. You’ve met Peter Hale and Derek Hale, who are born werewolves. La Bête, on the other hand, was an immanent werewolf.” 

Tracy and Liam looked at him uncomprehendingly. 

“You’ve heard the saying that the shape you take reflects the person that you are? There are people who are so inhuman – there’s no better way to put it – that they don’t even have to be purposefully changed. The mere proximity to the supernatural changes them into a supernatural creature and not a good one. I don’t know its name, but its nature was such that even the slightest exposure caused a transformation. It wouldn’t be like a bitten or born wolf.”

“Proximity to the supernatural?” Tracy asked, obviously thinking about herself.

“In his case, he drank rainwater out of a werewolf’s paw print.” Theo chuckled. “Where do you think that legend came from?.”

“What. The. Fuck?” Liam exclaimed disbelievingly.

“You have to remember that this thing, it was already monstrous. It only looked human. Now that it’s back, it’s going to kill and keep killing. I don’t know … we can’t be sure what would work against it; an immanent werewolf might not follow the same rules as bitten or born wolves. There isn’t much lore out there, they’re as rare as true … ”

Awkward silence descended. Theo didn’t feel the need to twist the knife tonight in Dunbar’s back. 

“What … what are we going to do?” Liam asked as he got into the truck, desperate for a change in subject. “How do we stop him?” 

“I think you have me confused with someone else,” Theo answered sharply. Liam was going to have to understand that he was no longer in the Beacon Hills Superhero Club; those days were over. “We’re going to keep an eye on our families and our pack, and we’re going to stay out of that thing’s way.”

“But …” Liam trailed off. 

Tracy sneered at the younger boy while talking to Theo. “Why don’t we let him go fight it by himself. See how long he lasts?”

Liam growled back. “How about I fight you and see how long you last?”

“Enough! Get in the truck.” Theo needed to think, and he couldn’t do it with Liam and Tracy bitching at each other. The Beast was both more and less than he had expected. From what he knew from the books and what he had just seen, it was powerful. Theo felt the stirrings of greed in his gut. If he could somehow takes its power, it could make him an alpha as efficiently as taking Scott’s power. 

Theo drove in silence as he went over the scenarios in his brain. It was true that he didn’t know that much about the Beast. That didn’t stop him from plotting. He dropped Liam off at his home with these instructions. “Warn Corey and Hayden, Liam. Tracy and I will alert Josh. Tell them to keep an eye on their loved ones and to call me immediately if they come across La Bête.” He put subtle emphasis on loved ones, and he was glad to see the determination set in Liam’s eyes. Good. Progress.

Theo pulled away and started driving. He would eventually drive to the place where he had stashed Scott, but he wasn’t quite ready to go there yet. He now knew what the Doctors’ ultimate goal had been, though it didn’t make much sense to him, and he had to figure out how that affected his plans.

Tracy sat quietly and patiently in the seat next to him. She didn’t complain that they seemed to be driving around aimlessly. She didn’t question what she had seen. Maybe she was thinking things through, or maybe she was waiting for him.

Waiting at a stoplight, Theo decided to be honest. “I didn’t expect this.”

Tracy was surprised. Maybe he had convinced her he always knew what was going on. “What did you expect?”

“Not this!” Theo shook his head. “The Beast of Gevaudan is at terrifying killer, you felt it, but if they wanted someone to kill ...” Theo trailed off. “They had plenty of people it would be less intensive to recruit.”

“Maybe they just wanted to see if they could do it.” Tracy suggested.

“Huh?”

“Some things aren’t done with a greater purpose in mind. Sometimes people do things for the purpose of knowing that they can do it.” Tracy explained. “Why do you think I killed the other transport guard?”

“You wanted to see if you could kill?” Theo asked, confused. Tracy had killed her father, her psychiatrist, and another transport guard. Of course, she could kill.

Tracy nodded in answer. “I know what you are thinking. I did kill those … my … “ She paused. “But I was out of control, locked in a night terror. It wasn’t really _me_ doing it. I needed to know if I could actually do it when I was me.”

Theo cocked his head to one side in empathy. He may have helped the Doctors with their experiments, but Scott had been the first person he had killed with his own hands. It had been harder than he thought it should have been. He never shared that reality with anyone though; he couldn’t afford to look weak. 

As they drove, Tracy went on. “When I was fifteen, my mother and I were coming home from my dance practice. We were out of butter, so Mom pulled into a convenience store. It was the one on 115 near Hill Valley. I wanted something -- I think it was a sport’s drink — so I went inside with her.”

Tracy closed her eyes. “It was being robbed by some tweaker desperate for a fix. He … he was crazy. We startled him and he stabbed me and my mom. My mom … didn’t make it. I had a couple of surgeries. In the end it seemed to everyone else I was okay, but … I didn’t dance again and I wasn’t okay.”

Theo knew part of this story. It was the skin graft from the surgeries that had made her capable of becoming a chimera. He didn’t interrupt her, as this was the most she had talked since her resurrection.

“Everything was so strange afterward. Nothing made sense. Of course, I missed my mom, but I felt that the world didn’t work the way it was supposed to any more.” She put her hand on the dashboard to steady herself. “Things are supposed to happen because something makes them happen. If you flipped the light switch, the light came on. If you dropped a ball, it fell to the floor.”

“Cause and effect.” Theo supplied.

“Yeah. But I couldn’t make my mind fit around the idea that my mom and I stopping to buy butter and a drink was the cause of her death.” Tracy shook her side. “I think everyone thought I’d get over it, but I didn’t get over it. Everything seemed … unreal. It was very stressful.” 

“Is that when the dreams started?”

“No. The night terrors didn’t start until the end of junior year, but it was where they came from. I couldn’t trust in things anymore. I’d stare at a door and wonder what was on the other side of it. I’d call my dad in the middle of the day, afraid that he’d up and die for no reason. I was on all sorts of anti-anxiety medication. It helped kinda; most of the time you couldn’t tell that I was a basket case.” Tracy laughed bitterly.

Theo pulled into a parking lot; he wasn’t sure whose parking lot, but he wanted to turn his whole attention to Tracy. This felt important.

“The funny thing is that I couldn’t tell when the Doctors first started messing with me!” She exclaimed in a type of frantic humor. “I’d been so used to doubting everything; I’d been so used to the fear and the dreams that I thought it was another episode of Tracy being Tracy.” 

Theo was at a loss as to what to say. No matter what he was now, he had helped the Doctors with Tracy. He had been a source of her pain. 

“I killed my dad, Theo.” She looked at him as if she knew what he was thinking. “I still don’t understand why I did it. There was … there was no cause.”

“I’m … sorry?” It was lame and unconvincing.

“Don’t be sorry. It doesn’t change anything.” Tracy didn’t seem angry. “But this … this changes everything.” She grew her claws. She grew her scales. She let her eyes shine. “I’m not afraid anymore of something happening for more reason. There may be things stronger than me out there, but I can protect myself. I’m not the effect anymore, I’m the _cause_.” 

“You killed the policeman in the hospital …”

“I killed him because I choose to do it. I put my claw in his IV and he died. Cause and effect.” Tracy shrugged and shifted back to human. “Sometimes you do things as an end to themselves. Maybe the reason they brought the Beast back is only because they wanted to see if they could do it.” 

Theo remained unconvinced. “Maybe.”

“Does it matter?” Tracy asked, honestly. “Does the Doctors resurrecting the Beast change your plans at all?”

Theo reflected on that. His immediate plan had been to establish his pack, to get the remains of the McCall pack under control, and to stabilize his position. 

“Do you still want to be an alpha?” Tracy pushed.

“Yes. Yes, I do.” 

“Then you’re going to kill McCall?” 

Theo raised one finger. “It’s not that simple. I can’t just kill him and take his power. Only a beta of his own making can do that.” 

Tracy shrugged. “You have absolute control over him. Make him bite you and then kill him when the change happens.” 

“Two problems with that. First, sometimes the Bite kills you, and I don’t know if it would even work with my physiology. There’s a risk I could reject the Bite. That’s why I made an elaborate plan to get Liam to kill Scott. Second, the moment I did get the Bite, my frequency would change, which means …”

“Scott wouldn’t be under your control anymore.” Tracy frowns. “And you’d be his beta.” 

“When I planted the idea that Scott bite Hayden to save her, it was a win-win situation. If he bit her and she died, Liam would be distraught during the Supermoon. If he refused to bite her … well you saw what happened.”

“Then get Liam to kill him, modify the original plan,” Tracy reasoned. “It’s not like Scott could put up a fight.”

“Do you think Liam would kill Scott now? Seriously?” Theo pointed out.

Tracy pursed her lips. “Nope.” 

“I need time. Time to get inside Liam’s head. Time to get him to a point where on another full moon he might be willing to kill to Scott.” Theo grimaced. “To do that, I need to keep us together, and I’ll need your help.”

“Of course.” Tracy looked pleased.

Tracy’s loyalty pleased Theo, but it unnerved him as well. He had told her that he was willing to use the pack to get what he wanted, even if it meant their deaths. She had treated it as if he were picking out socks. He also understood her points about the Doctors, but it didn’t make him feel better.

Theo started the truck back up and headed out to the abandoned factory where they were holding Scott. He had Josh, Tracy, and Corey — he still didn’t fully trust Hayden — take shifts in rotation with him on guard duty. It was a little paranoid. It wasn’t a line of mountain ash that held the alpha prisoner; the structure was made of the stuff, like Eichen House’s Closed Ward.

But Theo wasn’t going to take chances with things at such a delicate juncture with his new pack. After they reached their destination, Theo relieved Josh and gave Tracy his keys to take the other chimera home. Josh looked happy to leave. He must have finished his homework and become bored. Theo’s senses were on alert as he actually entered the building. Ten days in captivity might start wearing away at the alpha’s reluctance to kill. 

Scott was doing one armed pull-ups on a bar suspended beneath one of the few working light bulbs. He had stripped down to his boxer briefs, and sweat shined off his body. He must have been doing it for quite a while. Understandable, as there wasn’t much else to do.

Theo smirked as he watched the man. “You didn’t have to get undressed for me.” 

Scott dropped off the bar immediately and picked up a towel. He didn’t look in Theo’s direction, but walked towards the cot where he slept. “This place may have that moldy industrial shower, and you gave me a few ratty towels, but do you see a washing machine here? I don’t have many clothes.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “You expect me to apologize?”

“You’ve murdered, kidnapped, and enslaved me, in that order. No, I don’t expect you to apologize.” It could have been delivered as sarcasm, but it wasn’t. Scott’s tone was more a gentle rebuke. The alpha snagged a pair of jeans and pulled them on. Only then did he turn around to face Theo. “What’s wrong with you?”

Theo’s face cracked for a moment before he put it back together. “Nothing’s wrong with me.” 

“Your bosses may have done something to me, but the nose still works.” Scott took a few steps toward him. “I can smell the anxiety from here.” 

“I’m not.” Theo lied. He was still digesting the appearance of the Beast from earlier that night. Despite Tracy’s reassurances, he didn’t feel comfortable with what was happening. “Don’t you think you should be worried more about yourself?”

Scott inhaled. “I can worry about who I want to worry about, Theo. Considering the situation, your status is actually pretty damn important to me. I can’t make you tell me.” 

“No.” Theo pushed to take the advantage back. He hated the vulnerability implied in Scott recognizing his worry. “You can’t. You can’t do anything, and you should remember that.”

Scott sighed and picked up a shirt. “It’s not healthy to try to cover up anxiety with aggression.”

“Are you … “ Theo was outraged. “Are you giving me advice?”

“What do I have to lose?” Scott answered. “Unless you think I can talk you into letting me go and leaving Beacon Hills?”

Theo snorted in amusement and gave him a genuine smile. “I’m glad to see your sense of humor isn’t completely gone.” 

Scott sat down on the cot. He pulled the shirt over his head. “What do you want tonight, Theo?” He sounded tired. 

Theo didn’t know how to answer that so he went up to a bare supporting girder and leaned against. “Maybe I want to see how you’re doing? You’re very important to me.”

“I am? Honestly, I don’t get why you haven’t killed me for the alpha power yet. You’re spending a lot of effort to keep me prisoner.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Theo remarked. “I had my shot and failed, but there are compensations.”

Scott started laughing. It was the type of laugh you spent when you had saved all summer to buy that one particular bike, but it was sold the day before you finally had enough money to purchase it. It was the laughter of someone who couldn’t do anything else. “Torturing me is a compensation?”

“You’re going to help me get what I want, Scott.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Scott said sadly. “I don’t think you know what you want.” 

“Do you now?”

“If you asked me what would make me content right now, I would be able to tell you. I would want to be home with my mom. I’d want to be going to class tomorrow. I’d would be looking forward to taking Kira out on a date this Friday. I would want my father to be transfered back to San Francisco so he could keep trying to make up for missing my life, like he wanted. I’d want to hang out with Liam and Stiles and pretend that you had never come back to Beacon Hills.” Scott rattled off his wants wistfully. “But if I asked you, I don’t think you could tell me what would make you content.”

“Red eyes would be a good start.” Theo sneered. 

“I think you’re standing there and the only thing you can think of is … what’s next?” Scott shrugs. “There’s no bottom to that hole, Theo. Or I could be wrong. Tell me what would make you not want anything else Theo? But remember — now that I know what to look for, _I can hear you lie_.” 

“Be quiet!” Theo snapped but he also seized control of Scott. The alpha froze exactly where he was. Theo stomped up to him. “You won’t provoke me into killing you Scott. Not yet. You are not in control here, do you understand? I’m in control!” 

Theo reached out and grabbed Scott by the neck; the alpha could not defend himself in the slightest. “I’ll tell you what will make me content, Scott. I come home from a long day of doing whatever the fuck I want, and you’re waiting like an obedient dog to lick my goddamn boots. And, before I’m done, you will. _That_ I promise you. You can answer.”

Scott couldn’t move, but he could talk. His voice was low and angry. “You think you’re the first monster to put me on a leash? If I rolled over for everyone who talked big, Peter Hale would still be an alpha.” 

“We’ll see.” Theo simmered. "We will most definitely see."


	7. Prisoner of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo has never felt more in control, more powerful, and more successful. So, of course, this is when it all starts to fall apart. The good guys strike back.

Theo stared at Sydney while thinking about ways he could motivate her with a discreet application of pain. He wasn’t going to do it, of course, but there was no harm in daydreaming when someone was annoying him as much as she was this very instant. He was a realist, not a sadist, and Sydney was harmless in the long run, even if she was impossible for Theo to understand her. She wasn’t unintelligent; instead, she let fear stifle her personality. She could only be confident when she regurgitated someone else’s opinions or when she quoted from sources. If she had to speak for herself, she was paralyzed.

Theo tried once again to get her to understand. “The fatal flaw in the protagonist, hamartia, is what causes a tragedy. It shouldn’t be this difficult to find a protagonist we both know who has one. I’m sure there’s an appropriate movie that we’ve both seen.”

Sidney hesitated as she considered her textbook. “Do you have a movie you feel confident about?”

Theo pursed his lips. This was going to take forever unless he took the initiative. “Yeah. _The Godfather_. That is definitely a protagonist with a fatal flaw.” 

“I’ve never seen it. Is that the one with Steve Martin?”

Theo rubbed at his face. “No, that’s _Father of the Bride_.”

“Maybe _How to Train Your Dragon_?” 

Theo sighed internally. “I don’t think that Hiccup has a fatal flaw.” 

It took the rest of the class period, but once they started to throw out movie ideas the rest of the conversation wasn’t as taxing. They settled on a movie they had both seen — _Iron Man_ — and they were able to set up a rough outline of Tony Stark’s fatal flaw before the bell rang. They agreed to talk about hubris, though Sydney disagreed with him on how it manifested. Theo had to keep urging her to speak her mind, but Sydney seemed to think that Tony Stark’s problem was the dominance of ambition over caution; the superhero would try to fix things without taking into account that maybe he wasn’t able to fix them. Theo, on the other hand, thought that Iron Man was too concerned with what others would think of his actions; the character screwed up by trying to please everyone.

The class filed out. Theo hefted his bag over his shoulder and headed toward his locker and then lunch and then AP biology. He had been having a good day so far.

That all ended when he turned the corner to find a pair of deputies standing by his locker. They had their backs to him, but it didn’t take a genius for Theo to recognize the back of a hellhound’s head. Theo debated turning around and walking away before he was noticed. He decided, however, that he was winning. Why should he be afraid? “Excuse me? Is there a problem?”

Parrish turned around. His face was serious and his eyes searching. He wasn’t taking this for granted. “You’re Theo Raeken?” He forced it out. “Is this your locker?”

“You know who I am, Parrish.” Theo lifted an eyebrow, mockingly. “What can I do for you officers?”

The other deputy, whose name tag read Strauss, spoke as if he were following a script. “Mr. Raeken, could you open up your locker for us?”

Theo didn’t have anything in his locker but his jacket, his books, and his lunch, but an anxious twinge appeared in his gut. “You know what? I think I’m going to pass. You’ll need to get a warrant or you’ll need to get the principal here.”

“The principal is on their way,” Parrish replied in a cold voice. “We can wait.”

Theo frowned and started to back away. “Well, you have fun with that.” He turned on his heel. All his instincts told him that it was probably best if he got out of the school right now until he could figure out what was going on. 

His way was blocked by a man in a suit, accompanied by the principal. He was tall, dark haired, and he looked like he wanted to set Theo on fire and then piss on him to put him out. “You can give us a little time, can’t you, Theo? If we’re wrong, this won’t even take to the next period.” The man was falsely jovial, sneeringly condescending, and strangely familiar. 

Principal Brown stepped to the locker. “I don’t like doing this, but as you know, the lockers are considered school property.” 

Theo paid the administrator no mind. “Who are you?” He demanded of the tall man blocking his way out.

“I’m Special Agent McCall,” the man replied with a tight smile as he showed him his credentials. “I’ve been wanting to speak to you.” His voice grew menacing. “Personally. For a few days.” 

_Oh, shit._

Theo played it cool. “I’m sure you would, but I don’t think …”

“We have something,” Parrish announced. From the look on McCall’s face, he wasn’t surprised by this news at all. Everyone turned to look at the locker. 

Strauss had pulled a glove on and took a wallet out of the locker; one that definitely had no right to be there. Theo should have been able to smell the blood before then, but he always filtered out the smells while at the school. “That’s not mine.”

Strauss opened it up. “It matches one of the identified victims.” 

Theo growled. He was begin framed. Strauss and Principal Brown looked at him strangely, but Special Agent McCall appeared smug. When he looked at Parrish, the hellhound shook his head in warning. This wasn’t going to go his way if he started a fight right here and right now. 

“Well, Mr. Raeken,” said the FBI agent. “I am placing you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent …” As Scott’s father read him his rights, Parrish and Strauss cuffed him. The whole school saw. It was humiliating.

The only good thing about this was that as he was being led out of the school to the waiting cars, he saw Josh watching the whole parade. He didn’t nod to the other chimera; he didn’t want to give any one of his captors a cause to look into Josh. Now his pack would know about his arrest. Theo would find out soon enough how loyal they really were.

###### 

Theo sat in the holding cell of the police station. He was already bored but breaking out would be risky as there were enough people outside who knew exactly what he could do. He stared at the closed-circuit security camera as if he could lock eyes with the person watching. 

“Don’t I get a phone call?” He shouted at the camera in frustration. In response, the red light on it went out indicated the camera being turned off. Theo tensed. This could be bad.

But when the door opened, Stiles Stilinski entered casually like he was headed toward lacrosse practice. “Who would you call? Your fake parents?” His sarcasm had the same timber as it had always had. He placed a gym bag on the holding area’s work table.

Theo crossed his arms. “You’re the one who planted the wallets.” 

“Yeah.” Stiles nodded vigorously. “I’m not that good with blood, so it took a little effort and some rubber gloves to get them off the most recent victims of whatever it is your bosses have cooked up, but you know, sometimes hard work does pay off.”

“You framed me.” Theo growled. “I should have expected that.”

“Well, one good trick deserves another.” Stiles put up one hand. “Bad choice of words; don’t start that Void crap with me. He’s gone. This is all grade-A, 100% Stiles Stilinski. As should be obvious even to you, I have figured your ass out. It took me a while, but then I actually talked with people. My father and Deputy Clark to be exact. Your card let Donovan into the library that night.”

Theo sat back down. “So?”

“Which means you didn’t only see the aftermath; you were there from the beginning. Which also means, of course, you set it up. I took you at your word without getting verification. _Not my first mistake_.” Stiles tried to keep it light, but frustration bled through. “What was the goal there? Did you want Donovan to kill me or did you want me to kill him?” 

Theo smirked. There was no reason to lie anymore. “Either way was just as good. If he killed you, it’d destroy Scott. If you killed him … well, you know how _that_ went.”

“Yep.” Stiles popped the ‘p.’ He then turned and took a gun from the bag. It was a tranquilizer gun, like the type animal control uses to handle wild animals. “Want to know what this is?”

“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“This is filled with a mixture of mercury and strychnine. Enough strychnine to stop the heart of a bull elephant. Enough mercury to kill three people.” He pointed it at Theo. “You’re fast, but you’re not fast enough.”

“It’s going to be rough explaining that to your dad.” Theo called his bluff. At least, he hoped it was a bluff.

“You’re an experiment by the Dread Doctors. There’s more than one report on the books of a teenager with spontaneous mercury poisoning. Reasonable doubt is all I’d need, even if my father raised a ruckus. I could do it and get away with it. You forget, I’m a killer already.” Stiles sighted the gun and then put it down. “But … no …”

“Scott isn’t here to judge you,” Theo sneered. He didn’t like being threatened. He wasn’t sure what he expected that to do, but he wanted to hurt Stiles for this.

“No, he’s not.” Stiles didn’t respond the way Theo expected him to do. There was no rage. “But that’s your fault, isn’t it? You and your bosses planned this. The Doctors destabilized Kira. You distracted Malia. You wound Liam up like a toy poodle. You … you hurt Lydia so she couldn’t warn Scott.” 

Theo shrugged. He was thinking quickly. Stiles liked to talk, but he had to be threatening him, talking to him like this, for another reason. The chimera strove to perceive what Stiles’ goal was, so he could manipulate it to his own ends. “So you’ve figured it all out.”

“No. I didn’t.” Stiles finally sounded truly upset, but he didn’t sound out of control. “I didn’t figure it out, but that was the point, wasn’t it? You had to get me out of the way the same way you had to get Lydia out of the way. You did it by hurting her, but me? You did it by getting me to shove my head so far up my ass that I failed them. Because that’s what I do for the pack. I figure what the bad guys are up to, so Scott can …” He snapped his teeth closed. “So Scott could make the right decision.”

“I told you before …”

“I did need him, just like he needed me, and I let you fuck that up.” Stiles pointed at himself. “I was wrong. So now I’m going to do what Scott would have done. I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to use you. You’re going to tell us everything that you know about the Dread Doctor’s newest pet monster.” 

“Pro tip, Stiles?” Theo shook his head. “Don’t tell the person you’re trying to intimidate into helping that you won’t kill him. Ruins the threats.”

Stiles shook his head in disgust. “You’re unbelievable, aren’t you? No, I’m not going to kill you — unless you’re stupid enough to come at me — but there are a whole bunch of people in the next room who don’t really care what Scott would want, including Rafael McCall and Chris Argent. And if they lack the balls, there is, last but not least, Gerard Argent, the creepiest old bastard on this continent. The only thing that might protect you from a very, very final ending is how much you can tell them.”

Theo soured. Stiles was telling the truth. “What are you going to do?”

“What I should have done right away. I’m going to find Liam and tell him that he doesn’t have to be part of your creep parade. His pack’s here for him. _I’m_ here for him. And together we’ll find Malia. We’ll save Lydia. We’ll help Kira.” 

“You can’t have a pack without an alpha,” Theo sneered.

“We have one. We’ll always have one.” Stiles put the dart gun away. “I hope someday you’ll understand that.” 

Theo thought for a long moment about rubbing it in how true that was, but he was smarter than that. This was not the time for pointless boasting. Once he was free, then he would show Stiles exactly what he understood.

Stiles left shutting the door behind him, and the camera’s warning light came back on. Theo went back to sit down. His mind raced to figure out what to do next. He simply hadn’t envisioned being framed for a crime. He doubted that the men outside would even get to the point where he could talk to a lawyer. 

So deep he was in his thoughts that he didn’t become aware that he wasn’t alone until Corey cleared his throat. The chimera was underneath the camera so it couldn’t see him. 

Theo made a slight gesture to indicate the Corey should stay where he was. He wasn’t sure if the cells were wired for sound, but he guess he had to take a risk. He rested his chin on his hand and covered his mouth with his fingers so the camera couldn’t see him talking.

“When did you get here?”

“I … I followed you and then I came in when Stiles did.” Corey was nervous. “Was what he said true?”

Theo bit the inside of his cheek. He didn’t need this. “That doesn’t matter now. What does matter is you need to help me.” 

“I don’t … I don’t know how to get you out.” Corey swallowed. “I could … I c-could try to swipe a key card.” 

Theo thought about that. Yes, Corey’s invisibility was useful, but he wasn’t very good at using it yet. If he tried and got caught, it would make things more difficult. Besides, Theo wasn’t in the mood to escape. The way he had been humiliated by the police and the way Stiles had acted toward him was making him angry.

Not simply angry. Furious. He did not like to be disrespected. He hadn’t done all this to be dismissed as some unimportant minion. He was as angry as he had been when he had failed to kill Scott in the right way.

When his next idea occurred to him, part of him rejected it. It was dangerous; it was foolish, but he was too angry to care. Did people want to laugh at him? Let them laugh at this.

“No,” he said behind his fingers. “Gather the others and then tell Tracy to let him out.”

###### 

There were five men gathered into the back room of the police station. They had opened the cell door to give the chimera the illusion of movement, but Theo was as much a prisoner as he had been for hours.

“Anyone contact my parents?” Theo asked. “I’m pretty sure you can’t interrogate a minor without them present.”

Noah Stilinski frowned. He was confined to a wheel chair due to his recent surgery. “That’s the problem, Theo. No one can find your parents. We’re wondering if something may have happened to them.”

“Did you try my house?” Stalling was easy and necessary.

“We’re talking about your real parents. We caught the two impostors _pretending_ to be your parents. They’re known felons. We’ve arrested them on charges of kidnapping. Since you were transported over state lines that makes it a federal case.” Rafael McCall had his shirt sleeves rolled up and looked ready to get down to business. “I’ve asked the Beacon Hills Police Department to help out.”

“That goes to show you’re desperate.” Theo poked at them. Keep your enemies off balance.

“At least Stiles is actually funny, sheriff.” The agent snorted in derision. He turned to the other people in the room. “Are you sure this is the little bastard who murdered my son?”

“According to Stiles, Scott and Deaton called him a chimera.” Theo would recognize Chris Argent anywhere; he was heavily armed with at least one knife, one pistol, and the shotgun visible. “He was turned into a supernatural creature by scientific means.” 

McCall put his hands on his hips in frustration. “I don’t know what the hell that means …”

“It means …” drawled the old man in the corner. “It means you are outside the boundaries of your experience and firmly within mine. It means that this is not the time for courts. This is not the time for law. This is not the time for squeamish half measures.”

The sheriff gave Gerard Argent a look that could curdle milk. “He has to be here?”

Chris Argent nodded. “He knows the stories. He knows more than I ever will, and, right now, we need to know all we can.” 

“I don’t care who knows what!” McCall looked indignant. “I want this … thing to pay for what he did to my son. My son was no threat to him or anyone.” They must have read McCall into what his son was and what he had accomplished, but the FBI agent didn’t quite believe it yet.

“Your son was a target.” Jordan Parrish said in a deep voice. “We need to know why.”

Theo closed his eyes. He actually found himself looking forward to what was about to happen. He was good at defending himself using only his wits; he enjoyed it. “Casualties happen in war.” Even he recognized it was foolhardy to enjoy it this much.

“You think you know war?” Gerard Argent muttered, a wrinkled gargoyle lurking in the corner.

“I think I recognize it when I see it. Right now, in this city, I see armies.” Theo gestured to the men surrounding him. “The one you belong to. The one I belong to. I understand when I’m given an order. I know when I’ve survived a battle.”

“You’re not a soldier; you’re a murderer.” The sheriff gritted out. “This isn’t war. This is a group of evil men turning teenagers into puppets willing to kill for them. If this was war, we’d know why we’re fighting.” 

“I’m a soldier and not because I chose to be.” Theo was defiant. It was true enough, even though he no longer remembered what it was like when he had the choice. It was so long ago. 

“You lured the pack into an ambush. You didn’t face them on a battlefield. You disguised yourself as a friend and stabbed them in the back,” accused Noah Stilinski. He rolled the wheelchair closer to the younger man. He looked healthy; the chair was probably only temporary. 

“Are you angry because I did that, or are you angry because it was _so easy_ for me to do that?” Theo grinned as he stalled. “I didn’t have to do much to get all of you to turn on each other, did I? Especially you, Sheriff. You arrested Kira because her sword was found at a crime scene, but the next day I essentially confessed manslaughter to you and you let me walk free.”

The sheriff gripped the arms of his wheelchair. 

“Like father, like son. Did Stiles tell you about Donovan Donati? Did he tell you that I told him to tell Scott, but he wouldn’t?”

Chris Argent narrowed his eyes. “What’s the point of this, Raeken?” Argent would eventually catch on to the stalling tactics. Stilinski was too emotionally close to the situation, and he looked like he was going to get even closer but Parrish took his arm to calm him. As Theo had hoped, the rest of the group’s attention had shifted slightly. When he entered the room, they had been united in their disdain of him. The only way he was getting out of this room is if Theo shattered that unity. Luckily, Stiles had given him all the cards he needed to play. 

“The point is that Stiles could have stopped me at any time. All he had to do was tell Scott or you, sheriff, or someone. But he wouldn’t, because then he’d have to suffer the consequences of him murdering a chimera.”

“It was self-defense,” the sheriff spat. 

Rafael was scowling. “Is that true? It’s hard to claim self-defense if you conceal it, Stilinski. You know that.”

“Was it really self-defense, Sheriff? He told Scott to his face how much he resented his best friend’s reluctance to kill their enemies.” Theo knew that he had everyone’s attention. “I have a great memory, and these were his exact words: You're the True Alpha! Guess what? All of us can't be True Alphas. Some of us have to make mistakes! Some of us have to get out hands a little bloody sometimes. Some of us are human.” He smirked. “Sounds like a confession, don’t you think?” 

It had the desired effect. Gerard Argent openly guffawed at the ‘bloody hands’ comment. Parrish looked stricken. McCall looked furious. And the sheriff looked like he’d been kicked in the gut. Splitting these bozos apart was easy. 

Theo followed up. He had to keep them off their balance. “He shouted it pretty loudly. I almost didn’t need supernatural hearing to understand what he said. Was it any wonder when I offered Stiles the deal, he took it?”

“What deal?” Chris Argent demanded. 

“I offered Stiles a deal. I’d help him save his father if he promised not to help Scott.” He winked at the sheriff. “Looks like your son can keep his word when it …”

Theo had been so eager to drive a wedge between McCall and Stilinski that he had missed Gerard Argent pushing himself up out of the corner and pistol whipping him across the side of the head. Hard. The room spun. 

“You’re all idiots.” Gerard grumbled. “He’s a teenage boy and he was playing you like …” He reversed the pistol and pointed it at Theo’s head. “You’ve got maybe thirty seconds, son, to tell us what we need to know.” 

Theo’s head swam for about ten of those thirty seconds. His last intelligence on the old man had been he was drowning in black goo in his own apartment. He’d been dismissed as no longer a threat. It looked like that evaluation had been premature. “I don’t know …”

Gerard pointed the gun at Theo’s thigh and pulled the trigger. Theo gasped in agony as he fell over.

Noah, Rafael and Jordan reacted with all sorts of objections. They were, to various, degrees, angry, determined and disgusted, but they weren’t ruthless. They weren’t men who could put a bullet in a child to get him to talk. 

The Argents were. Chris wouldn’t do it anymore, but he had that capability. Gerard would do it for cab fare. 

“He’ll heal. At least, I suspect as much since he was enough werewolf to fool your children.” He pushed Theo over with his foot. “Unless you want me to test that, you’ll give a straight answer. What did the Doctors’ create?”

Theo was going to kill that old man. He didn’t feel pain often, and he could feel his flesh healing around the bullet already. “La Bête du Gévaudan.” 

“I _told_ you.” Gerard crowed at Chris. “They’ve succeeded.”

“I won’t tell you anything else.” Theo snarled. 

“You don’t have to. I just needed confirmation.” Gerard laughed at him. “If you ladies aren’t interested in seeing him bleed out, you might want to dig the bullet out of him. While that happens, I’ll tell you all you need to know. We’ve got a fight on our hands.”

Parrish was the one who ultimately had the task of digging the bullet out. While he did that, Gerard told the story of the Beast. Theo listened to him for two reasons. First, the Doctors had been secretive to the point of distracting him with a present. Second, it helped him not pay attention to the excruciating pain in his leg as Parrish dug through his flesh.

Rafael McCall took it the hardest. “This is … insane.”

The sheriff shrugged. “That was my reaction, but I’ve seen things that make me believe it. Why would they want the perfect killer though?”

“Insanity is reason enough,” Chris put in bitterly. “We need to stop them before any more people die.” 

“You’ll never stop them,” Theo spat. “Not without my help.” 

“I think you’ll remain quiet until we ask you a question.” Gerard pointed the gun at Theo’s forehead. “Ever since I heard of your kind, I wondered if you were as resilient as a werewolf.”

“Put that down!” snapped the sheriff. “We’re not executing anyone.” Rafael and Chris looked like they didn’t agree with Noah completely, but it was his sheriff’s station.

“He’s a liar, sheriff. He’s a schemer. He’s killed before, and he’ll kill again if it benefits him. What are you going to do, send him to the county jail?” Gerard chuckled nastily. “Let the Argents do what we do best; kill monsters.”

Suddenly, there was the sound of glass shattering from the front of the sheriff’s station. Someone had just battered the doors open. Theo could hear it clearly. His pack had arrived.

“You’re right, old man.” Theo snarled. “I _am_ a liar. Want to know my biggest lie?” 

At the confident tone in his Theo’s voice, the adults stopped and looked at him with suspicion.

“We didn’t kill Scott.” Theo gloated. “And here he comes now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not meant to be a proper representation of jurisdiction or proper police procedure. Everyone is going off the books here.


	8. Blood-Dimmed Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo's supernatural forces attack the sheriff's station. It's just another day in Beacon Hills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter has intense amounts of gore, violence, and major character death.

Chris Argent, Theo had been told by many, was so proficiently skilled that he could make even the simplest tasks or household items into tools of intimidation. Theo believed that, because after the way that the hunter had stuck the barrel of his shotgun in Theo’s face and the way Argent’s blue eyes had flashed icily, he was very, very intimidated. “What did you do to him?”

Theo believed he could be brave when the occasion demanded it. This was not such an occasion; he shifted the blame as much as he could. “They did the same thing your sister did to him. Only better.”

Chris Argent snarled as ferociously as any werewolf. Cocking his shotgun, he stormed out of the holding cells accompanied by the sound of shattering glass from the station. Gerard, looking strangely eager, followed after his son with his own weapon ready.

Agent McCall was not far behind him, demanding as he went. “What does that mean? What did your sister do?” 

Deputy Parrish did not join the rush to the fray. Instead, he grabbed Theo by the shoulders roughly and tossed him back into the holding cell. 

“Hey, I’m wounded!” Theo protested.

“You’re lucky I don’t shoot you a few more times to make sure you stay that way.” Parrish snapped while slamming the cell door closed. 

“We better get out there. They’re going to need us.” The sheriff’s voice was grim. Even confined to a wheelchair, Noah readied his weapon. 

Parrish frowned and grabbed Noah’s chair, pushing it into the other holding cell. The sheriff was so surprised he could only utter a dismayed protest. “Sir, you’re in no shape for a fight. You know it. You’ll be safe here.” He shut that gate much more gently. 

“Parrish!” Noah was outraged.

With a look of remorse, the deputy turned and left, leaving the sheriff sputtering in anger. When the hellhound was gone, Noah took the key card from his pocket. He studied the lock to the cell. 

“He’s right you know,” offered Theo helpfully from his cell, where his healing abilities were trying to force the bullet from his leg. “You’d die out there. And then where would Stiles be?”

“If I wanted advice from you … I would never want advice from you. Now shut it.” The sheriff, understandably, wasn’t in the mood to listen to Theo, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew that the chimera spoke true.

Theo turned to his leg. Growing his claws, he used them to dig into the wound, groaning aloud at the pain. The wound would heal quicker if the bullet was out, and since the battle going on outside was for his benefit, he planned to be ready in case he needed to move fast. Even as he dug, he heard a fusillade of shots, both pistol and shotgun, and the smash of furniture. A woman’s scream filled the air before being abruptly cut off.

Theo had expected himself to remain calm and cool, but he found his hands shaking as he tried to dig out the bullet. 

“What did you do to him?” The sheriff suddenly demanded.

Theo felt the need to distract himself from both his own pain and the sounds of battle. The easiest way to do that would be to rile up the only other person in the room. “ _Now_ the Stilinskis’ care.”

The sheriff cocked one ear to hear to the battle, so it took him a few moments to reply. “Son, I’ve been in law enforcement a long time. You aren’t the first criminal who tried to piss me off. What did you do?”

“You think I know?” Theo pulled the bullet out. “All I know is that the Doctors implanted something in him. Along the spine, I guess.” He knew a little more but he wanted to make it look like this was all on the Surgeon’s part. He certainly wasn’t going to tell anyone that he had control of the alpha. “It makes him act like he did when he was controlled by Kate Argent. A berserker without the animal spirit.”

There was a window-shattering roar. Theo had commanded Scott to attack, so the alpha was doing his best. The sheriff looked up. “But why him?”

“I forget, you’ve never seen a fight when an alpha lets go. Imagine all of Scott’s strength without any of his restraint.” 

“They have this Beast thing. Was it always their plan to take him too?” Noah turned the key over and over in his hand, as if he was contemplating leaving to help. Ever the detective, he was trying to make sense of what was happening. 

“You can never have too much power. Who’s going to stop either of them?” Theo hid his continuing concern with the unknown reasons why the Doctor’s had resurrected La Bête. He simply didn’t understand why.

At that, the lights went out in the building, though emergency power immediately came back up. Theo stood up on one leg, testing his weight now that the bullet was out. Josh was here and acting at least semi-intelligently. Scott and his chimeras would have the advantage over the human beings in the poor light. Though it would be better if Theo could get out now … 

“We’ll save him, as we did before.”

“Who will?” Theo asked, startled from his own thoughts. “La Loba had been shot _a lot_ before Scott was able to break the spirit’s control over him; those hits weakened her. This is technology; you don’t know how to weaken it. Who’s going to inspire him to break the hold this time? It won’t be Liam, who nearly beat him to death over his two-week girlfriend. Will it be his treacherous best friend? His absentee Daddy? Malia’s missing. Lydia’s committed. Kira’s gone. Even if it were possible to overcome the implant, where would he draw the will to do it from?”

“Scott’s a good person.” The sheriff protested. 

“ _Was_ a good person. Right now, Good Scott is the mindless monster out there slashing up your deputies, but I have a deal for you.” Theo paused to let another round of gunshots go off. “You give me that key card, I’ll take Scott and my chimeras and go, and no one else will have to die today.”

“You think I’m going to let you go?” The sheriff drew his gun and pointed it at Theo. “I’ll …”

“You’ll do what’s necessary to save lives. Won’t you? Or maybe you’re used to massacres at work?”

For a moment, Theo thought that maybe he had pushed the sheriff too far as the gun snapped to point at his face. They locked eyes and Theo offered the man a small smile. Confidence could be very useful in persuading others, even in situations such as this. The sheriff drew his key card out and flipped it to him.

“Good choice.” Theo let himself out of the cell quickly, before the elder Stilinski could change his mind and shoot him. He rushed out into the melee.

Theo did not consider himself a sheltered person, and he did not consider himself a gentle person. When he was ten, he had found his sister hurt and freezing to death in a creek and did nothing but watch her until she died. He hadn’t discovered until much later that the Doctors had caused his sister’s accident. The Pathologist had arranged every detail and then erased himself from Tara’s and his memory so if someone discovered them or Theo couldn’t bring himself to go through with it, no one would be the wiser. The Doctors didn’t need a ten-year-old boy who was a killer to find the perfect evil; even good people could kill if there were no other choice. They needed a child so cold that he could stand there for hours listening to a sister who had never done anything to him cry for help until finally she slipped into unconsciousness. Sometimes he remembered that night, and he wondered why he could stand there like that. He still had never answered that question satisfactorily.

With that done, Theo had had no trouble helping the Doctors with their experiments. He had helped them identify and isolate the potential chimera. It had been easy. He didn’t know them, and he didn’t have any connection to them. They were just targets. He didn’t get any blood or mercury on his hands; the Surgeon made sure of that by taking care of those things personally. 

He’d only ever killed once, and that was when he had killed Josh Diaz on the roof of the hospital. That had been more difficult than he had imagined. He didn’t need to pretend to be shocked for Stiles. He had been well trained in combat and while he wasn’t as strong as Liam, and he certainly wasn’t as strong as an alpha, he was still the First Chimera. But Josh had been in a frenzy and had not been holding back, and after the deed had been he had felt only a little nauseous.

He had seen death. He had caused it. He thought he understood it. So perhaps Theo could be forgiven for not really being ready for war.

It took a moment for his mind to sort through the chaos of the other room. The first thing to hit him was the smell. There was blood. He knew that smell. There was the smell of gunpowder. That one was less familiar to him but one he could still readily identify. Then there was the smell of shit. That was a surprise. It’s not the first thing you think of when you think of fighting; that would be the stench of fear, the aroma of cold sweat. But in battle, _especially when someone had been torn in fucking half_ , you will smell it.

The next thing to hit him were the sounds. He had dampened down his hearing to human levels, but his ears were still ringing from the constant pop of pistols and the crash of shotguns. There were shouts of humans trying to coordinate, a werewolf’s roaring, and the tinkle of shattered glass. Somewhere, on the very edge of his restrained senses, someone was crying.

There were only two combatants on his side that he could immediately see. He had forgotten how fast Tracy was when she put her mind to it. He also had forgotten that she was very capable of using walls and ceilings in a way mundane people could not. The police in the fight weren’t ill trained, but they weren’t trained to fight a lizard girl armed with paralytic toxin and who moved in three dimensions. She was using her speed and her maneuverability to avoid being shot, paralyzing or slashing those that she could get close to. Most of the shots must have been directed at her. 

The other combatant was Scott. He had waded through the melee employing nothing but claws and brute force. He must have smashed the doors to the sheriff’s station open, and he had tossed heavy desks around like they were couch cushions. He was soaked in blood, though some of it must have been his own, from the number of bullet holes that Theo could see at first glance. When he had commanded Scott to come to him, Theo had not put any limitations on how. That might have been a mistake. 

Theo, like all the people in the room who weren’t Argents, hadn’t seen an alpha fight before. Some of them had seen McCall fight before, but that was when he was holding back. Scott would rather lose than accidentally kill someone, so he always kept a tight leash on his power. In this fight, he had no limits. 

Parrish had leapt forward to engage Scott in hand-to-hand. Theo wasn’t sure what the hellhound’s goal was, but he was the least surprised person in the room when Parrish burst into flames. 

Theo charged forward himself. He wanted to get Tracy and Scott and get out of here, but he needed to be closer to the door. His pet could be seriously damaged, maybe even killed, fighting the hellhound, and that was not what he wanted. Scott was his. The first idea that came to mind was the fire suppression system.

Responding to his thoughts, the alpha grabbed Parrish and threw him up into the ceiling. The motion was immediate: maybe it was some memory of an earlier fight surfacing. The hellhound not only broke the ceiling but triggered the system. Water filled the room as did the smell of cooking flesh; Scott was going to have some serious burns from that.

Theo took this chance to lunge forward. He tripped on something though, falling forward onto his hands and knees. He landed hard on his hands. When he spun around to see what it was, he stared face to face with Valerie Clark. At least the top third of her. 

It wasn’t the gore. He’d seen plenty in failed experiments and calculated murder. It was the suddenness. The randomness. This was a pointless death that he hadn’t foreseen. He hadn’t intended this, but he had caused it. He was stunned by the realization. Theo somehow had imagined that this type of clusterfuck wouldn’t happen — not to _him_. 

For the first time in a very, very long time, Theo was afraid of what might happen in the future.

“We’re going!” He shouted, and then stood up to see Scott McCall drop the edge of a very heavy metal desk on Jordan Parrish’s head. Theo’s eyes widened. Things were spinning ever more out of control. “We’re leaving!” He gasped out and ran toward the door. 

The guns had stopped firing when the water had started falling from the ceiling but they started back up again as they fled. Theo didn’t stop until he was out the smashed open front door and in the street. His feet pounded on the blacktop. He had had a plan in the cell on what to do, but he couldn’t think of it. “Come on, Theo,” he muttered to himself.

He turned around to see a fully transformed Tracy racing right behind him. Scott McCall was directly behind her, breathing heavily but staring at nothing, his hands so burned that Theo could swear he saw the bones of his fingers. His claws were still extended. 

Tracy prodded, patiently. “What now?”

Before Theo could answer, his own truck pulled up in front of him. Corey was driving. He looked like he was about to throw up, but he was driving. It snapped Theo out of his stupor. “Where’s Josh?”

“He’s in the back! Come on! Come on! Come on!” Theo wasn’t going to count on Corey being very communicative.

Theo sent a command for Scott to get in the back and Tracy was already on her way. He climbed into the passenger side. “Go! Go, Corey, Go!”

The truck roared away from the site of the battle.

###### 

“What are we going to do?” Corey asked, frantically.

Theo rubbed at his face. “We’re going to calm down.” 

“Is he even healing?” Corey’s pitch was becoming a wail. 

“Calm down!” Theo snapped in frustration. “Calm down, Corey.” He picked Josh up from in the back of the truck. The electrical chimera had taken a shotgun blast in the chest. He was still breathing, wetly, and he still had a pulse, but there was so much blood and strange green pulsating flesh that Theo didn’t know what the hell to do. “We’re going to take him inside.”

Theo picked up Josh himself. He felt strange. He had killed Josh the first time and now he was wracking his brain to figure out a way to keep him alive. Theo didn’t even know what species Josh was. 

Under Theo’s guidance, Corey had driven an indirect route to the remote abandoned factory where they had been keeping Scott. Theo was reasonably sure that no one knew where it was. There was a possibility that given the sheer amount of blood in the truck, a werewolf might be able to track them here, but the only werewolf available was Liam, who wasn’t very good at tracking yet.

Theo carried Josh inside. Tracy and Corey were looking at him to make the decisions, and he wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t calm; he was rattled. He had never been this rattled for this long. Scott stood behind them, silent, still in thrall. Theo suddenly wanted to know what Scott would do in this situation, but he couldn’t risk releasing him yet. Things were too … unstable.

At least Scott’s hands were beginning to heal from the third-degree burns.

Once inside, Theo felt a little safer, away from prying eyes. He went over and put him on the cot. “We don’t have any first aid supplies, but …” Why didn’t he have a first aid kit? Yes, they healed, but they weren’t invincible. 

Tracy had returned to human form and was looking at him as if she was waiting to see what he wanted for breakfast. There was no anger or impatience; instead there was simple concern. “We have a problem.”

Theo felt the first edges of a strange emotion; it might have been panic. “Just one?” 

“Okay. Problems. Scott killed Hayden’s sister. She’s going to find out sooner or later. I hurt Chris Argent pretty badly. He might survive, but I’m not sure. I think that Scott broke his father’s back.”

Theo shrugged. “I don’t care about …”

Tracy didn’t sigh; she continued on as if Theo hadn’t expressed exasperation. “Rafael McCall is an FBI agent. The Feds are going to get involved. The only Argent still mobile is Gerard. He’s far less concerned with things like the Code than his son.”

“Oh, God. Ohmigod. Oh, God!” Corey was losing it.

Theo stared at the wounds on Josh’s chest. He had to think. He had to come up with the right answer. They were looking at him, and … and this was different than following the Doctors’ commands. This was different than manipulating people to do what he wanted by making them think they were doing what they wanted. He was supposed to be a leader.

“Corey.” He finally found his voice. “I need you to take your phone and my truck and drive at least five miles away from here. Then call Hayden, find out if she’s heard about her sister and if she _hasn’t_ , bring her here on foot. Then call Liam, find out if he has heard about Scott, and if he hasn’t, tell him to meet Tracy at the ice cream parlor on Bluebird Avenue.” 

“What … how will I know if they know?” Corey sounded not only like he was going to panic, but also that he was going to say ‘no.’

Theo stood up and grabbed Corey by the arms. “God damn it, Corey, do as you’re told! If Hayden or Liam knows, I’m pretty sure they’ll tell you. I’m trying to figure out how to help Josh. So get your ass moving. Now!” He was yelling and Corey nearly fell over himself leaving.

Tracy tilted her head to the side. She didn’t even blink at the shouting. 

“Tracy, I need you to put Scott in a mountain ash circle. There’s some … shit, there’s some in the truck!” He’d not thought that through. Luckily, Tracy was already moving to intercept Corey before he left. 

Listening to the faint sounds of Josh’s heartbeat, Theo got up and ran over to where the bedding for Scott was kept, ripping off the sheet and coming back. At least he could bind the wounds, give the chimera’s body time to heal. It wasn’t a real answer, because he didn’t even know how the specific Josh was hybridized with healed their body. A human would be dying right now. 

Theo started to rip the sheets into bandages, so he could at least stop the bleeding. He didn’t pause to wonder why he cared so much. If Josh died, he’d be down one member of the pack, and he was pretty sure that the Doctors would not tolerate him stealing more of their solution. It might cause Corey to doubt him as well, and he didn’t want that. He could trust in Tracy’s loyalty due to her nature, and Scott didn’t have a choice, but there was a distinct possibility he was going to lose Liam and Hayden. Josh would be one loss too many.

Tracy returned. As always, she did not seem to be judging him. Theo was judging himself enough for both of them. He was supposed to be the mastermind. “Circle Scott with the mountain ash and then get moving. I need to make sure I talk to Liam before Stiles does.”

Tracy nodded. Theo was going to buy her a bouquet of roses or a box of chocolates or something she liked. He was beginning to realize how much he needed her. 

Theo had finished bandaging up the still unconscious Josh when Tracy left, leaving Scott in a small circle of mountain ash. The alpha’s hands were healing, slowly but surely. When he was confident, Theo dropped the enthrallment.

Scott fell to his knees immediately and let out a deafening roar of agony. It was only to be expected. He had a very busy day. He covered his face with his charred and healing hands and took great heaving gulps of air. 

Theo turned to look back at his patient. For some reason, he didn’t want to witness Scott processing what had occurred. He made himself busy. He focused on other things than what the alpha must be experiencing. He kept telling himself that they weren’t important.

“Theo.” Five minutes later, Scott gasped out the word. It wasn’t accusatory and it wasn’t cold. It was a pain-filled demand for attention.

Composing himself, Theo turned to face him as if it was another day and they were talking about school. “Yes, Scott?”

“Electricity.” Scott grated out. “He needs electricity.” 

Theo took a moment to figure out what he was talking about. It made sense. Healing took a lot of energy. Werewolves naturally had that energy, but what if Josh needed more to heal a wound this bad? Theo sprang into action, quickly getting an extension cord and tapping into the power supply. He put the cord in Josh’s hand. Electricity flowed into the chimera. Theo waited until he could peak under the bandages and see real healing going on.

Theo finally turned back to stare at Scott. “Why?”

Scott gingerly placed his hands on his knees. He was sitting by now. “He needed help.”

Theo leaned back. He was feeling more confident than he had a half-hour ago. “You don’t feel any resentment at all toward him? Or is the guilt too strong?”

Scott closed his eyes. “If you are expecting me to feel guilty, you’re going to wait a long time.” 

“I don’t know. You’ve taken a lot of guilt on yourself in the past, or so I’ve been told.”

Scott breathed through his nose for a few seconds. “That was guilt about what I did or what I failed to do. I don’t have any guilt because of what you did. You used me, like a puppet. I spent too much time trying to convince Stiles that he wasn’t responsible for what the nogitsune did with his body to be that much of a hypocrite.”

Theo cocked his head to the side. “You seem remarkably okay with this.”

Scott opened his eyes and they were blazing red. “I hate you. You don’t know how much I hate you right now. You made me hurt my Dad. You made me kill Deputy Clark and Deputy Perez and you made me kill Parrish.”

“Hate’s a pretty strong word for you, Scott.”

“You don’t know me,” the alpha snapped. “Just because I didn’t kill the people who hurt me doesn’t mean I don’t feel things. It doesn’t mean that I wasn’t tempted to try to beat Derek’s head in when he tricked me about the cure or scream at Mrs. Yukimura when she tried to get Kira and me to break up. But what I _feel_ doesn’t justify what I do. I learned that the hard way; you haven’t learned it yet.”

Theo stood up and walked over to the mountain ash line. “So, if I broke this line, you wouldn’t try to kill me?” 

“No.” 

Theo called the bluff. Maybe he was feeling self-destructive; he had made Tracy lay it because he was sure that this would drive Scott into a murderous rage. But he could detect no lie. He broke the line.

Scott sat there. “I’m not going to kill you, Theo. I’m not even going to try to hurt you.”

“Your father could be dead, Scott.” Theo sounded frantic to himself. “You can tell yourself you're not responsible, but you tore someone in half tonight. I can't believe you're not even going to try.” 

“No.” Scott remained sitting where he was; he hadn't even moved a finger. “Even if I was fast enough to do something before you could control me, I don’t think you really deserve to die, either.” 

“I … don’t?”

“I felt you.” Scott said simply.

“You … felt me,” sneered Theo.

“You didn’t mean for that to happen. You didn’t really want that to happen. You made a mistake.” 

Theo swallowed. Scott could feel his emotions through the link. That was a most unwelcome surprise he had not anticipated. “I got free … It doesn’t look like a mistake.” 

“Why lie to me, Theo? I already hate you. You’ve already destroyed me. Why try to manipulate? Why try to pretend? There’s very little left here for you to take.” Scott sighed and closed his eyes again. He hadn’t even tried to move out of the circle. 

Theo stared down at him. “You’re right. I already own you. So why am I even listening to you?”

“Because I’m the only one you can trust to tell you the truth.”

Theo burst out laughing. It came out of him like a wave, and it was supposed to be full of scorn and derision for Scott, but he couldn’t help but feel that he was laughing at himself. The laughter echoed throughout the abandoned factory until it withered on his lips.

Silence crept back up between them, the only thing other than the broken line of ash that Scott had yet made a move to cross. Theo heard the steady beat of Josh’s and Scott’s heart, and the spasming beat of his own. He could smell the faint traces of burnt flesh and gunpowder. He could feel his hand shake. 

He sat down across from Scott, his hands in his lap. This didn’t mean anything. It meant _nothing_. 

“I don’t know what to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter's title is from W. B. Yeats "The Second Coming."


	9. What Rough Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of the Blood-Dimmed Tide begins. Theo's pack shatters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More violence in this chapter! Be warned.

Theo stared at the scrubby forest that surrounded the deserted factory as if it had any answers. Twilight had settled over the edge of the preserve, turning the leaves to a dark rustling canopy and the bigger trees into silent sentinels. Theo could see better than any human could, but it didn’t give reveal any of those answers. He could see more and more of the forest until it faded into the approaching night.

He didn’t want to start pacing again. Corey and Tracy had been gone for hours. Hours! He could imagine all sorts of reasons for them being gone so long and he didn’t like any single one of them.

Of course, he couldn’t go after them. If Theo left the factory and they arrived here without him, then he wouldn’t have a chance to talk to Liam or Hayden before they saw Scott. That would be the biggest disaster he could think of right now. And he could think of a great many disasters.

When he had been arrested they had taken his phone. He didn’t exactly have time to search through the blood-soaked melee to find it during the prison break. Of course, the Surgeon and he hadn’t taken Scott’s phone when they had kidnapped him over a week ago. And while Josh had a phone, he had fried it during the fight at the Sheriff’s Station. 

It was another painful reminder of how much things were out of control. All the conveniences that existed in the modern world, and here he was in the middle of the woods, trapped and voiceless.

Theo was about to start pacing once again when he heard Scott come up behind him. He had left the door to the factory open, so the mountain ash containment was broken. Theo had already established the range and depth of his control with the bloody rescue, so he didn’t feel particularly anxious about giving Scott a little bit more space to walk around in. He carried his prison inside him.

“Is there something wrong?” Theo asked.

“No. Josh is almost completely healed, but he’s still sleeping. Your electric bill is going to be enormous.”

Theo looked over his shoulder in disbelief. He expected a more morose Scott. “Jokes?”

“It’s that or start screaming.” Scott had cleaned up from the blood and put on some of the clothes that Theo had arranged to bring here. When Theo looked more closely, he could see the strange set of Scott’s face. He looked haunted.

Theo went back to looking at the woods. He put his hands in his pockets and then took them out. He couldn’t stay still, and he didn’t have anywhere to go. He didn’t like Scott to see him like this. To see him out of his depth. “What is _taking_ them so long?”

The night settled into the area. The stars came out shining above them. It would have been a beautiful comfortable scene with two boys standing out under the open sky. But it wasn’t.

“You’re worried.” Scott broke the brief silence.

“Yes.” Theo gritted his teeth. “They should have been back at the latest an hour ago. What if …”

“You’re worried about them.” Scott repeated.

“Oh, don’t start.” Theo snorted and turned away from the forest to look Scott in the eye.

“Why won’t you admit it? That’s a good thing.”

“It’s a good thing that I have to worry about my pack dwindling? It’s a good thing that I gave Corey and Tracy a simple task and apparently it’s not going particularly well?”

Scott watched him with those stupid eyes. It looked like it was a struggle for him to decide whether to speak about things. “It’s good you worry about your pack.”

Theo stared at Scott as if he had grown a second head. There was concern in the alpha’s voice, as if he was truly happy that Theo had taken a moment to worry if his minions were getting the job done. It was infuriating. Theo wasn’t going to let Scott dig under his skin.

Scott asked quietly, “What do you know about them?”

“What do I now about who?”

“What do you know about … Corey?” 

Theo brows knitted together. What was the point of this? “I know he’s gay. I know his parents may by the most self-centered, oblivious parents I’ve ever met. I know that he and his boyfriend …” Theo thought back to get the name.

“Lucas,” Scott put in. 

“I know that Corey and Lucas were both one of the first people we looked at. Lucas had corneal transplants and Corey had a skin graft from an accidental burn when he was a toddler.”

“What about him now?” Scott prodded.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. Does he like you?”

Theo was about to snap back that it didn’t matter if Corey liked him or not, but then he realized what point Scott was driving at. Before this afternoon, he would have been confident that Corey wouldn’t have the back bone to betray him or even leave him. The battle, however, had been bloody and violence and Corey wasn’t the bravest chimera ever to be made. In fact, he had been freaking out in the direct aftermath, even before Theo had yelled him.

Theo felt like slapping himself in the face. He had correctly identified fear as Corey as primary motivator, and then Theo had shown him a blood-soaked nightmare and then followed by bullying him. So, obviously, it did matter if Corey liked him, and honestly, Theo couldn’t answer. He hadn’t thought about it.

“I don’t know.” When he saw something slightly disapproving in Scott’s eyes, Theo protested, “Hey, I’ve been _busy_!”

“What about Tracy?”

“I don’t have to worry about Tracy’s loyalty.” Theo was sure of that.

“I wasn’t talking about her loyalty. I was talking about her. How does she solve problems? When she’s excited, what does she do?”

Theo snapped at him. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t care.” Scott’s voice was soft.

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“What am I going to do? Sit in the dark and think about the people you made me slaughter? Stare at the walls in stoic silence? I’m not that strong.” Scott’s voice broke. “I’d rather be anywhere else, do anything else, talk to _anyone_ else, but you’re the only other conscious person here.”

“Well, I don’t care what you want. I’m going for a walk. Stay here, or I’ll make you stay here.” Theo stormed off. 

Theo found himself surrounded by the woods before he stopped. He was far enough away not to be able to see their hideout, but he knew that, if it became necessary, it would take half a minute to get to where he could see it, even in the middle of the night. 

He wasn’t comfortable with anything that was going on. He wasn’t comfortable with no word from Corey about Hayden. He wasn’t comfortable with no word from Tracy about Liam. He wasn’t comfortable with Scott’s sudden need to talk to him like a normal person when Scott was nothing more than a captive and a slave. He wasn’t comfortable with the bloody mess he had not meant to cause at the police station. He was going to be a fugitive for the rest of his life. He was growing more and more concerned with the puzzling motivations of the Dread Doctors, yet he was afraid of pushing them for answers.

Though if he was forced to get to the heart of the matter, it wasn’t the behavior of anyone other than himself that was making him nervous. No one was acting differently than what he had imagined. No one was revealing something he hadn’t seen before. It was his sudden confusion and lack of resolve. He was the one acting out of character.

There had been a plan. Theo hit the tree he was standing next to with his fist. There was a brilliant plan, which had had been working perfectly. After the plan was over, he would have the alpha power and a pack of powerful, amoral individuals with which he could … 

He had never thought beyond that part. He wanted the power; that was true. But he had never asked himself what would come next. 

Now with the power, with the pack, he had to make new decisions, and they had turned out to be decisions for which he hadn’t had any preparation. Every new decision spiraled into another one, and those decisions had gotten people killed. He wasn’t morally opposed to killing, but Josh had almost died because of one of his decisions. Josh was his pack. His. And he had almost lost him. Theo needed time to think. He needed time to make new plans.

There was a rustling among the bushes, faint and fast, and he grew irritated. He wanted to be alone for a moment, was that too much to ask? “Scott, I told you …”

It took him a moment too long to realize that the rustling was coming from the opposite direction of their hideout. It took him a moment too long to realize that the approaching figure was running. It took him a moment too long to realize that it was not Scott.

Pain blossomed along the side of his face. This wasn’t a punch. This was a claw. With a strange detachment, he watched his own blood spray across a nearby tree. The left side of his face had been torn from nose to ear. An inch higher and he would have lost an eye. Two inches lower and he would have bled out through his jugular. He spun around from the force of the blow.

Crouched among the leaves was Hayden. Unlike her previous transformations, the fact that she was only part werewolf was fully revealed. She has the lupine claws and the angular brow ridges, but the spots that once had appeared only at the base of her neck had spread all over her face. As she coiled herself for the spring, Theo watched her rage intensify beyond any human emotion. Her glowing yellow eyes slowly and deliberately turned as green as emeralds. 

“So, I guess …” Theo began but didn’t get to finish as she lunged at him. 

_She’s faster than me_! Theo thought frantically as he stumbled back from her assault. Her claws whistled through the air as she growled. She wasn’t holding back at all. 

Theo didn’t panic yet as he stepped back. Hayden was a sophomore and being a soccer player wasn’t the same thing as being a trained combatant. He would compensate for her greater speed with his training, and when he had neutralized her advantages, he would respond with his own attack. 

Her next lightning-fast slash didn’t catch flesh, but it did catch his shirt. Her hand closed around it. He braced himself, but she whirled around, picking him up and hurling him across the clearing. _She’s stronger than me_! It was his last thought before the back of his head impacted a tree trunk.

The world swam without distinct edges. When his thoughts made some sort of coherent sense inside his skull, his first thought was that he had to get up. Hayden might not be a trained warrior, but she had entered a bloodthirsty frenzy which had been entirely focused on him. He wasn’t quite sure where she was or why she wasn’t ripping him to pieces.

When his vision cleared, he saw why. Scott had checked her. He was standing behind her, holding her by the wrist, pulling them down. She was fighting madly, but while she was stronger than Theo, she wasn’t stronger than an alpha. 

Theo pulled himself up. He hadn’t summoned Scott. He hadn’t commanded him to come. He had come on his own volition.

“Calm down, Hayden.” Scott was speaking quietly into her ear. “I won’t let you go until you calm down.”

Hayden twisted ineffectually, growling and snarling, but Theo could understand words between the animal sounds. “He … killed … my … sister.”

“He didn’t. I did.” Scott said firmly, his voice solid but not cold. 

Hayden froze in place, the alpha’s admission kicking her completely out of her frenzy. “He made you do it. That’s what Corey said.” 

Theo flared with a spike of rage. Corey had betrayed him. 

“Theo didn’t make me do it. When he ordered me to rescue him, he didn’t specify how. It was a mistake; he made a mistake.” Scott sounded sincere which confused Theo even more. 

“Then why is she dead?” 

Scott paused as if searching for the right answer. “What the Doctors did to me, it … quiets the part of me that worries about things like hurting or killing people. All I care about is fulfilling the instructions I’m given, and … and werewolves are violent creatures.” 

“So it is his fault!” Hayden tried to twist out again. “He made you into this, like he helped make me into this!”

Scott sighed but he didn’t let go. “Killing him won’t bring your sister back. Killing me won’t bring your sister back. Nothing will bring your sister back.”

Hayden snarled and twisted to no avail.

“Do you think it will make you feel better? It probably will. For a time. And then your sister will still be dead and you’ll have killed people, too.” 

“He deserves it!” She roared. 

“And what do I deserve?” Scott asked gently. “This is going to sound harsh, but there’s no other way to say it. What do you deserve? If my life has taught me anything, it’s that no one has the right to determine what someone else _deserves_.”

Theo’s face had knitted itself back together. It was still painful; it stung when he touched it. “If we’re done with the Scott McCall Therapy Session, I think you two need to be reminded who’s really in charge here.” 

Scott shot Theo a look. It was a ‘you’re-not-helping’ look. Which was okay, because Theo didn’t really want to help. He wanted to take control. 

“I didn’t want your sister dead, Hayden. I didn’t want to be in jail anymore, either.”

“As if I care what the fuck you want,” Hayden spat at him.

“You should. As an alternative to Mr. Roger’s point of view,” Theo sneered at the pair of them, “the person who gets to determine who deserves what is the person with the most power. Right here, right now, that’s me. You took your shot and you missed.”

“I’m …” Scott began and then trailed off.

“Yeah, don’t write checks your ass can’t cash, Scott. Hayden, you should know that if I wanted to, I could make Scott pull your arms off.” Theo hadn’t meant it to be such a direct threat. He had meant it to be beginning of a point. Power was what mattered. Before he could go on, however, he suddenly became aware of more movement coming from deeper into the woods. “Oh, for shit’s sake, what now?”

Now, it was Hayden’s turn to sneer. “That would be my boyfriend.” 

Liam roared out of the underbrush, but unlike Hayden, he didn’t go for Theo. He went straight at Scott. The beta’s impact knocked Hayden out of Scott’s hands and she fell to the ground. Scott and Liam rolled on the ground in a flurry of blows and claws. 

Theo wasn’t going to be surprised again by Hayden, but she was more focused on Liam and Scott, backing up to where she could keep an eye on all three of them.

Finally, Scott threw Liam off of him and scrambled to his feet. Liam did the same. Scott had a few claw marks on him, but nothing deep, but Liam had not been touched. Liam backed toward Hayden. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine.” Theo smirked at him. “Scott stopped her from getting herself killed.”

Liam’s head snapped forward. “You lied to me!” At least his eyes blazed the color they were supposed to be, a molten yellow. Hayden reached out and grabbed his hand in support.

“Uh, _yeah_.” Theo replied sarcastically. “Have you met me?”

Scott stood up. “Liam, you should get out of here, you should go talk to Sti —” His face suddenly went blank. 

“Enough of that,” Theo interrupted. “You’ve guy have taken your shots, now you get to listen to me.”

“Scott?” Liam must have sensed the change in Scott, the submersion of his personality into the creature that Theo controlled. “Scott? What’s wrong?”

“It’s what Corey said,” Hayden tried to whisper to Liam. “Theo can control Scott now.”

Liam gave him a look that would have made a lesser being run in terror. Theo was not a lesser being, but this all felt like playacting to him. It felt pointless, but he couldn’t stop.

“That’s right. Scott? Claw out your own throat.” Theo gestured to the alpha who started to bring his claws up as commanded. “No, wait, I changed my mind.”

So what if he cribbed off of Game of Thrones? Cersei was a bad bitch. Liam’s eyes widened from anger to horror. 

“For all intents and purposes, Scott McCall is dead,” Theo went on. “So I only lied a little bit. All I have to do is focus, and he’ll do anything I asked him to. He killed Jordan Parrish. He killed …” His eyes glanced off Hayden’s glare. “He killed other people. He may even have killed his own father. Would Scott do that?” 

“No,” growled Liam.

“So everything else I told you was true.”

“Fuck off,” snapped Liam. “Just fuck off. I’m not going to join your stupid little pack.”

“You already did, Liam. And you were sooooo convincing.” Theo nearly bit off his own tongue. He didn’t want Liam to go. “What are you going to do instead? Who do you think is going to protect you? To guide you?”

“I. Don’t. Care.” Liam shouted. “Hayden and I aren’t yours anymore. You couldn’t even keep her sister safe. At least Scott tried not to hurt people. You’re just a monster. We’ll find our way without you.” Hayden nodded.

Theo crossed his arms. They would come back. “Fine. It’s a dumb decision. When the real monsters are hunting you, remember that you had a way to survive, and you turned your back on it.”

Liam turned away from Theo and towards Scott. “We’ll find a way to help you. I promise, Scott. I promise, we’ll find a way.”

Theo snorted. “Keep dreaming, Liam. I’ll tear him apart before I let him go. I don’t really have a choice anymore, do I?”

With one last look at Scott, Liam and Hayden ran off into the trees. Theo watched them go. He should have predicted this. Once Deputy Clark had met her end, he was going to lose Hayden, and if he lost Hayden, he lost Liam. Something also told him he might have lost Corey. This was turning out to be a shit night. 

Now all he had to worry about was Tracy. 

###### 

Theo rolled over. He wasn’t in a bed; it was a cot. It was an uncomfortable cot that smelled of mildew and some off-brand fabric softener. Or maybe that was the sheets; Theo wasn’t sure. He only knew that he now was awake when he had been asleep.

He blinked from the grogginess. It had to be after midnight. The lights in the factory were all off. He stretched and then turned to his side to see Scott looking at him. 

“What?” He shot up. “Where’s Tracy?” 

“Not back yet,” Scott said from his position on the floor. He was sitting crosslegged. 

Theo looked around the room. He listened with his ears. The only sound was his heartbeat, fast and erratic, and Scott’s, slow and steady. 

“Where’s Josh?”

“He had to go home.” Scott answered. “He wanted to see his parents.”

“You let him go home!” Theo jumped up. He was in a new shirt and his underwear. When had he gotten undressed?

“I was supposed to stop him?” Scott asked incredulously.

“He was part of an assault on a police station! If anyone recognized him, he could be under arrest?” Theo felt panic gnawing at his edges. Did he have to be on call, twenty-four seven? 

“Again. Was I supposed to stop him?”

“No.” Theo smoothed his hair down. “How long ago did he leave?”

“It’s about three now, so four hours ago.”

“I’ve been asleep for four hours!” Theo shouted.

“You keep repeating everything I say, like it’s supposed to change what I said.” Scott said crossly. He hadn’t moved from his position on the floor. “You were out of it pretty quickly. Hayden did throw you into a tree.”

Theo stood up. “Thanks for reminding me.” He pulled on his jeans that were folded neatly at the foot of the cot. “Who took my pants off?”

Scott shrugged. 

“Why would you take my pants off, Scott?”

Scott looked like he was going to be stubborn and then shrugged again. “It sucks to sleep in jeans. I’ve done it before.”

Theo got up and stretched. He went to the door and poked his head out. Still no sign of Tracy or Josh or anyone else. He had to figure out what to do. He might have lost his own pack. “Come on, Scott. We’re going to find Tracy.”

They headed out into the woods once Theo got his socks his shoes on. He had to get out of that place. He was not only feeling stretched thing and confused, now he was feeling vulnerable. He hated all three of those feelings, so it was time for a change of scenery.

Scott followed about three paces behind him in the darkened woods. A shy gibbous moon hung in the sky, disappearing behind clouds whenever you would look at it too long. Neither of them had any trouble navigating through the thickets and down the stream beds. They were quiet. 

The path they took got them out near the area where Tracy was supposed to have met with Liam. That plan had obviously crashed and burned. There was no sign of Tracy, either. She had been there, though her scent was old.

“Let’s get some food.” Scott spoke for the first time since they had left the hideout.

Theo turned to look at him. “No.”

“Theo, you haven’t eaten since breakfast. You need to eat.”

“Scott!” Theo pulled him back from the edge of the woods and into a more private area. “You’re not going to confuse me! You’re not going to trick me into getting myself caught.”

Scott stared at him. He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m not trying to do either.”

“We’re fugitives!” Theo raged. “We can’t just walk into a diner and order cheeseburgers.”

“It’s probably unlikely that the all-night diner is going to have a wanted poster of us yet, Theo. And I’m not lying when I say you need to take care of yourself.”

“Why the fuck do you care! You said you hated me!” Theo had had it up to here. The last twenty-four hours were beyond his comprehension. “I enslaved you! I made you kill!”

“As you love to remind me, Theo.” Scott looked down at his feet.

“You could’ve killed me when I was asleep. Are you that much of a … coward? I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe …” Theo took several deep breaths. “You know what I’ve done, but you want to make sure I eat right.”

“I don’t want you to die, Theo. I’ve never wanted anyone to die. Not even you.”

“That’s … so much bullshit.”

Scott looked angry all of the sudden. “Right now, I don’t want you to die because I don’t know what will happen next!”

The echo of his own fears came back on Theo; he wasn’t the only one afraid of the future. “You kill me, you’re free.”

“Are you sure about that, Theo? You’re not the one who put that shit into me, are you? It was the Doctors. I don’t know everything they did to me, and I don’t think you know, either.” Scott looked at him and Theo could finally see the terror behind their eyes. 

“No.” Theo had to answer the truth. “I thought I knew what they were doing, but I don’t. I don’t understand what their next step is after resurrecting the Beast. I didn’t even expect them to do what they did to you. I thought they’d just kill you.”

“You can control me. You can switch me … the real me … off like a light switch and make me do anything you want. But you bring me back; you’ve always brought me back. What if they don’t? What if they … shut me off forever? My body, walking around, doing their bidding?” Scott’s voice is strained. “If you die, who is to say they won’t?”

Theo understood that. It was self-interest. He could understand that. “But you’re doing more than that, aren’t you?”

“I can. I felt you. While you may not care about the people who got hurt or died in the police station, you didn’t want them to die. If I help you, maybe I can stop any more accidents. Maybe I can stop other people from dying.”

“And that’s all you ever wanted, isn’t it?”

Scott didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.


	10. The Professionals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo makes several discoveries about his minions, about his captive, and about his captive's allies. The game board begins to shift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide Ideation, Discussion of Suicide

For a moment, Theo imagined that this might be what normal felt like; not that he had any real idea what constituted normal. He was sitting with Scott McCall in a diner at three in the morning staring at a plate of beef Manhattan with succotash and drooling a little bit. Scott had ordered a farmers omelet, and the alpha was carefully removing the flat ware from its napkin. Both of them were obviously very, very hungry.

They had come in, sat down at a corner booth, and ordered without talking beyond the barest necessity. Theo, at first, had tried to track the people in the 24-hour diner. He noted the cook, the single waitress, the drunk college kid, and the truck driver. He didn’t flinch — _he didn’t_ — but he did react when they moved suddenly. But slowly, eventually, as no one had done anything suspicious and the food had come, Theo had relaxed. If any of the other people in the diner were going to call the police, they would have done it by now. 

While Theo had been keeping them from being arrested, Scott had eaten his omelet with deliberation and his full concentration. He would carefully cut on the perpendicular, and then divide that slice into three equal parts. Scott also had a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice. Scott would alternate three bites of the omelet with a sip of orange juice and a gulp of milk. It was not how you would expect an alpha wolf to eat. It was actually weird to watch him, and Theo couldn’t help but sneak glances. 

Scott stopped eating with the fork half-way to his face. “What?”

“Nothing.” Theo turned back to his sandwich. It was still weird. 

Theo attacked his own meal with far less finesse than Scott. The food calmed his nerves. It warmed him up inside, and he was surprised how much he enjoyed eating like this tonight. He was surprised how relaxed he was. The whole idea had been a good one. He could pretend that things were back under his control.

What was happening now could have been another night, before all the secrets had been revealed. Before he had given up the pretense of wanting to be friends with Scott and his pack. They weren’t terrible times, really, though he knew they had to end. He had gone to the movies with them once, before the end. Scott had tried, after Theo had ‘rescued’ Liam and Hayden, to get everyone go out to the movies, his treat. The alpha’s goal had been to remind them that they were still teenagers and that there was more to the world than chimeras and Dread Doctors. In the end, only Theo, Mason and Lydia had gone with him. Stiles had made up a lie obvious to even non-werewolves, Liam had simply said he didn’t feel like it, and Malia hadn’t even answered her phone. That had made the start of the evening very uncomfortable. The three of them had tried their best to make Scott feel like it wasn’t a wasted effort. There had even been a few moments when everyone had fun. 

All of it had been fun for Theo. He understood, theoretically, what teenagers did socially. He had watched movies that other teenagers would have watched. He had actually studied each pack member’s Netflix queue. But studying it, pretending to know what it was like, was different than actually doing it. It didn’t hurt anything to indulge in that.

Like tonight. Teenagers went out to all-night diners and ate food at odd hours. Theo never had before. It was nice. 

Theo finished his sandwich and ran a finger down the plate, licking up the gravy. Scott met his eyes as he put the finger in his mouth and for some reason, Theo felt embarrassed. He was pretty sure he blushed. 

“I told you that you were hungry.”

“Yeah, yeah.” If Theo wasn’t Theo and Scott wasn’t Scott, they could have been two friends eating at a diner, but they weren't friends. “Let’s get going. We need to find Tracy.”

They paid the check — money wasn’t really a problem for Theo — and walked towards the woods from the diner. Tracy’s scent was still clearly there. She must have spent time waiting for them at the diner, but she had to have left maybe around ten p.m.? Unlike Jackson, a real kanima, she had an actual scent. “We can follow her,” Scott stated.

Theo felt irritated and he didn’t understand why. Maybe it was the unnatural naturalness of them working together. He suddenly didn’t want to be with Scott anymore; Theo didn’t want his help. As Theo pulled his shirt off, he told the alpha. “I need to do this next part by myself.” 

“Okay.” Scott didn’t argue. He did raise an eyebrow at the disrobing. 

“Take my clothes. Go deeper into the woods. I’ll find you when I’m done,” Theo ordered. It gave him some form of comfort, giving orders, though not much. But it had to be better than the disquiet that had resurfaced in Theo’s mind. 

Scott turned his head to side. “Okay.” He sounded confused. 

“If you don’t …”

Scott snapped. “You’ll make me do something horrible. I said okay, Theo. You can assume that I remember all your threats from before.” 

Scott’s frustration, and the fear behind it, should have made Theo feel better, but it didn’t. Theo had to get away, at least for a while. He shed his pants in one quick movement and sprang forward. Scott’s never seen him do the full shift before. Theo hoped it made Scott jealous, but he didn’t look back as he sprinted away after Tracy’s trail.

His senses were far sharper as a coywolf. Coupled with his human intellect, Tracy’s path was as clear as if she was leaking florescent paint. She ran parallel to the road; he could see it through the trees easily. It was a specific trail and then it made a left down another road.

She was following someone. 

Theo felt a little bit of relief, because that meant it was her choice to leave. The best thing about Tracy was that he didn’t have to doubt her loyalty. He could feel it, even now. The bad thing, and it wasn’t a terribly bad thing, was that she was loyal enough to be proactive. It was a new concept to Theo: needing to have faith in someone enough to let them operate under their own initiative. 

Theo kept the pace up. He followed her scent to what seemed to be a tunnel right in the middle of the woods. This wasn’t odd in itself, as there were many tunnel systems in Beacon Hills. During the Sixties, the Hales had expected a large jump in population as the baby-boomers matured, so they had influenced the city to expand its utilities in preparation. The population surge hadn’t materialized, but the Hales, the Argents, and even the Doctors had employed the empty constructions for their own purposes.

It seemed that whoever Tracy had been following had met up with someone here in another vehicle. It was an SUV and this one smelled of wolf’s bane and gun oil: the Argents. There were no signs of a struggle, but he had lost Tracy’s trail. She must have hitched a ride on one of the SUVs. 

Theo sniffed around the entire once more to be sure. He’d never be able to follow her trail in a car before dawn, and he’d probably get spotted. He would have to trust in her.

The coywolf started the run back to the woods behind the diner. It was very easy to follow his own trail. He had his bearings now. He bet he could even take the weird passive camaraderie that Scott was offering him. It was better than being alone. His next step would be to talk to Josh and see what the chimera was willing to do. Theo didn’t want to force Josh to abandon his family.

The alpha had left a pretty obvious trail deeper into the Preserve. Theo wondered if Scott had simply never learned to be stealthy in the woods or if he justdidn’t care about leaving such an obvious and easy-to-follow trail. It wasn’t as if Scott didn’t have both a reason to be self-destructive and a history of acting on it. Theo decided to be more cautious. The Argents were about, and all it took was one hunter with a high-powered rifle to ruin your day.

Theo found he had made the right choice. He was able to creep up on Scott, who had a very unexpected and unwelcome (to Theo) visitor.

“I really wish you would stay back, Doc.” Scott was pleading. “You don’t understand. He could make me kill you.” 

“I understood you the first time, Scott, but you’ll find I can be quite resourceful in protecting myself. Don’t worry about me; let me take a good look at you.” Alan Deaton had been, the last time Theo had heard, a prisoner of the Desert Wolf. Something must have changed that. He didn’t look any worse for wear.

Theo might have charged into the clearing and interrupted the reunion, but his sense of smell stopped him. There had to be something nearby that was armed with a lot of guns, but he couldn’t manage to pinpoint the source. Only a few people could manage to conceal their presence from lycanthropes, even artificial ones like him. Those people were dangerous and not to be underestimated.

Instead, the coywolf crept forward until he could see Scott and his boss. The veterinarian had had Scott take off his shirt and was pressing his fingers along his spine and rib cage. “There’s only a limited amount of information I can gather with this type of examination. Could you tell me about how the device works? Anything would be useful.”

Scott sat down on a fallen log while Deaton examined him. Scott’s face was more open than when he was Theo, and he was far more miserable. It was like meeting his Emissary again had dismantled the fragile peace that the alpha had made with his situation.

“I never told you how it was with … with Kate in Mexico.” Scott’s voice was filled with bad memories.

“No. You didn’t, and I didn’t want to press.” Deaton was understanding. “It seemed a private thing.”

“When I was a … when I was a berserker, it was like I was …” Scott struggled for words. “You know when you wake up in the morning and you’re not quite asleep but you’re not quite awake? You can’t tell if you’re dreaming of if you’re thinking about a dream you had. It’s like a puppet show in your head, and you’re the only person in the audience. The bear spirit was like a strange dream; it wanted to kill, it wanted to maim, and it wanted to do what Kate wanted it to do. I was there, unable to move, unable to wake up.”

Deaton continue to prod at Scott’s body. Theo assumed he was looking for the exact physical location of the implant.

“When … the first time Theo controlled me, he … he touched me. He had to touch me. And it was like my body responded to his commands rather than my own.” Scott explained. “Like he was sending messages along my nerves.”

The older man frowned where Scott could not see him. “But it did not stay that way.”

“No.” Scott wiped at his eyes. “I … I couldn’t …”

“I know this can’t be easy for you, but I need you to tell me everything.”

Scott took a deep breath. “It kept getting stronger. Soon he didn’t have to touch me. Then he didn’t even have to see me. Then … yesterday …” 

Deaton concluded his observation and sat down. Theo was going to stay patient as well. Scott hadn’t shared this with him, for obvious reasons. This could be helpful for him. 

“He gave me the command from all the way across the county to free him, so I did. I wasn’t unconscious. I was making decisions. I …” Scott swallowed. “I threw my dad against the wall. I ripped Deputy Clarke in half. I clawed out Ramirez’s throat. I killed Parrish.” 

Deaton stood up. “You succeeded in destroying Parrish?” The older man’s heart rate spiked.

“I dropped a desk on his head … “ Scott shook his head. The memory must have welled up unbidden. “Oh no.” He dropped his head into his hands. 

“I’m sorry, Scott, but we don’t know how much time we have. I need you to keep telling me about how Theo controls you.”

“I don’t think he’s controlling me anymore. I think he’s _changing_ me.”

Deaton turned his head to the side. “There are different levels of control. Some might even make you think that you would willingly kill to free Theo.”

“That’s the point! I wasn’t thinking like me!” Scott burst into tears. “I was thinking like … like _him_.”

Theo nearly yipped out loud. Part of him was fascinated. He completely understood why Scott wouldn’t have wanted to tell Theo about that experience. Part of him was insulted at the attribution of violence to his style of thought. He wasn’t that violent was he?

“I mean … I didn’t care about those people. I knew who they were. I knew who my dad was, but I didn’t care about them, the way that Theo doesn’t really care about people unless he needs them for something. They were obstacles.” Scott wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “What’s worse …” 

“Go on, Scott.” Deaton put a hand on shoulder.

“When Theo came out, he was horrified. He hadn’t wanted that to happen; he hadn’t imagined it happening. So all that butchery was … that was me. I imagined it. _Me._ ” Scott didn’t mention Tracy, but then again, Tracy had been far less violent.

The two of them fell silent for a few minutes. Deaton’s heartbeat had slowed to normal while Scott’s was slowing. Scott was still crying and Deaton put two hands on his shoulders as a gesture of comfort. 

“I couldn’t stop it.” Scott finally said in a small voice. “It wasn’t like in Mexico. When Liam … when I had Liam by the throat and he repeated my words back to me, I woke up. I forced myself to wake up, and then I pushed the spirit out of my head.”

“Your nature as a True Alpha and your emotional connection to Liam enabled you to do that, Scott. What did you use as your emotional connection this time?”

Scott didn’t say anything.

“Scott?”

“I didn’t have an emotional connection.” Scott whispered.

If Theo could have grinned as a coywolf, he would have. They don’t have the same facial muscles as humans, so he did not. It warmed him that he had managed to isolate Scott so completely.

“I tried Parrish. I tried my dad. I tried the sheriff. But they … they weren’t strong enough. Parrish is a good guy.” Scott’s voice caught in his throat. “Parrish was a good guy. My dad’s been trying to be better, but he still … he didn’t known about me. That was still between us.” 

Deaton nodded. “Perhaps if you tried the pack?”

“What pack?” Scott suddenly shouted. 

Deaton was taken aback.

“What pack? Liam, who tried to steal the alpha spark?” Scott jumped up, anger replacing his tears. “Don’t tell me it was the fucking Super Moon. I know what being out of control feels like. I didn’t wait patiently for Theo to open the goddamn mountain ash line. I didn’t keep talking about how much I wanted to kill Stiles or Allison or Jackson!”

“Scott, I’m pretty sure he was manipulated …” Deaton began.

Scott put up one clawed finger. “Of course, he was manipulated. We were all manipulated. But who is manipulating them now? How long did I lay unconscious in the hallway of my house before the Doctors took me? No one’s looked for me. No one’s rescued me. I failed them, so they abandoned me.”

Scott went over to a tree and punched it. “Every day … every day I was Theo’s prisoner and I kept telling myself that it’s my fault. I kept telling myself that I’m the alpha, and if things went wrong, that’s my fault. But I’ve been captured for eleven days, and this afternoon was the first time I saw any of them, and Liam wasn’t even searching for me, he was trying to save Hayden! What type of emotional connections do you _think_ I have?”

Deaton stood up. “Scott, I’m pretty sure that most of your pack thinks that you’re dead.” 

“Of course! That’s the point. I don’t have any emotional connections any more that aren’t poisoned by all of Theo’s bullshit.” Scott’s eyes flashed. “Who is going to connect with me? Kira? The Doctors destroyed her before I even knew something was happening! And I sat there, being _worse_ than useless. I might never see her again! That’s a connection all right, but not one I can use against Theo’s control. Stiles? Last time we talked he admitted killing someone and lying about it. I’ve got a pretty good idea that Theo used that against us, but it doesn’t matter what the truth actually is. What matters is that Stiles had so little faith in me that he deceived me. Then he had the nerve to beg me to believe in him, when he didn’t believe in me at all.” He laughed grimly. “Who the fuck knows where Malia is or even if she gives a damn?”

“I don’t know what happened, Scott,” Deaton said gently. “But as you describe it, Theo attacked the bonds between you and your pack. But now that you know that …”

“How strong were they if lies can twist them?” Scott demanded. 

Deaton walked up to him. “You’re being too hard on them, and you’re being too hard on yourself. Darkness always seems to be stronger in the short run. But you know that things such as love will persevere in the end.” 

“I don’t think anyone loves me.” Scott said. “Not anymore.”

Deaton shook his head. “I know …”

Scott wasn’t angry. He was near tears once again. All the emotions he must have bottled up in front of Theo came spilling out of him like a dam burst.

“My mom doesn’t love me.” The short, bitter statement was accompanied by a sob.

Deaton tilted his head to the side. 

“I started … it’s obvious once you know how to look. It’s been ever since she saw me transform in the jail when Matt attacked the police station. She doesn’t love me. Just like Stiles, she loves the superhero she thinks I am. Do you know she’s never once told me to let the adults handle the demons and the assassins and the scientists that come after us? As long as I’m good, as long as I’m the True Alpha, she can love me, but if I wasn’t, if I was only a werewolf, she … “ He took a deep sobbing breath. “You know she resuscitated me? Mason told me all about it. She screamed that I was too strong to die like that. But I’m not strong. I don’t want to be strong, but if I want her to see me as anything but a monster, I have to be! You know, after she brought me home that night, she sat me down on the bed to clean out the hole the size of a football in my chest. Did she tell me that I had done my best? Did she tell me that she’d do anything to see me safe? No. _She told me what I owed other people_! Then she left me alone so she could run to the hospital to offer comfort to Stiles, because humans need comfort; superheroes don’t.” 

Scott fell to his knees. It was more of a collapse. Before he hit the ground, Deaton had run forward and caught him. 

From his vantage point, Theo could barely hear Scott’s next words. “Look what I did to my dad! Who’s going to look at Parrish’s headless corpse, who’s going to try to sew together Clarke, and say I’m a good person? Who’s going to love me now?”

Deaton hugged him then. He didn’t say anything, but there was emotion in that hug. Theo felt the stirrings of envy, but he put them aside.

“You can’t.” Scott said, accusingly, from within the hug.

“What?” Deaton was surprised.

Scott, a little more composed, pushed away. They were both sitting on the ground. “You’re my Emissary. You’re my link to humanity. You can’t love me; you have to advise me.” His voice was tired. “You have to keep the Balance, and that means you can’t put aside your duty to everyone else in the world. I figured it out; it’s why you never tried to train Stiles to replace you. An Emissary has to be objective in their advice, and he never could be. It’s why you don’t tell people everything you know, why you don’t do everything you can, because sometimes the Balance demands that an alpha falls.” 

“I didn’t want to be your Emissary, Scott, but you are correct. I’m here to give you alternatives, not protect you from the consequences of your actions.” Deaton answered. There was more emotion in the veterinarian’s voice than Theo had ever heard before. When is a father not a father? When he can’t be.

“Then tell me the alternatives.” Scott demanded. “Should I kill myself?” 

“If the control Theo exerts over you is progressing as you say, that is a viable option.” Deaton’s voice nearly broke, but he held it together. “In the Doctors’ arcane science, all life has a specific frequency that is a function of biology and psychology. The supernatural responds to those frequencies. Due to the implant, your specific frequency is shifting to match Theo’s. I can’t predict if or when, but it might be that eventually …”

“I’ll become him.” Scott finished.

“More like an echo, but it is not a fate I would wish for you.” 

Scott swallowed. “Okay.” It was a leaded word. “Okay.” Scott’s face twisted with a decision.

“However, before you decide, I …” Deaton’s voice faded.

“No. Tell me.”

“You’re still needed. The Doctors have succeeded in recreating the Beast of Gévaudan. It’s a monstrous killer, and it kills because it enjoys it.” Deaton hesitated. “I think that Parrish was drawn here to defeat its resurrection.”

“And I killed Parrish. You’re saying I can’t kill myself before we stop the Beast …” Now that the decision has been made, Scott seemed oddly content. 

Deaton watched his protégé contemplate, probably thinking of a way of stopping La Bête before destroying himself. The veterinarian was not distraught, even as close as he had been a few moments before. “There might be ways to remove the implant. There’s surgery, but I’d need a lot more time to investigate where it is inside you and how it works before I try anything that risky. There’s also …”

“What?”

“There’s another frequency that’s stronger than Theo’s.” Deaton began.

Theo didn’t want him to continue down that course. He could stop Scott from having surgery, but the alpha was his. His mind reached out and he gave the order for Scott to strike his boss down.

Deaton was more aware than Theo had given him credit for. He must have seen the change in Scott’s demeanor, because he instantly spun away from the alpha and threw a circle of protective mountain ash into the air. Scott’s rapidly deployed claws bounced off the field.

Theo transformed into human shape and walked, stark naked, through the clearing. Scott was having no luck with the ash line, futilely trying to get to the druid protected within. “Uh, uh, uh,” drawled Theo. “No giving my toys hope.”

“Breaking a line of mountain ash takes all of Scott’s will. He’ll never do it as he is now.” 

Theo walked over to the pile of clothes. It was a human thing, but he didn’t like talking to people naked unless he was using it to disturb them. Deaton, as a druid, would be unfazed by his nudity. “The same does not apply to me.”

“True.” Deaton replied. “Which is why my precautions for you took a more practical approach.”

The shotgun blast grazed Theo in the back as he was reaching for his clothes. As it was, it was excruciatingly painful. He sprang away but another blast took him on the left hand. 

Braeden stepped out from her hiding place. Hers had been the presence Theo couldn’t quite place. He had no idea how she had done that, but he did have an idea from her slow stalk forward that she intended to shoot him until he stopped breathing. He could switch Scott’s target, but she had already him twice … he took another grazing shot to his shoulder, his body was on fire. He might die.

Theo ran, leaving his clothes behind. Scott followed the moment he was summoned, leaving the druid and the mercenary in the forest.


	11. The Dragon's Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tracy Stewart has a lot to say.

“You are going to have to hold still.” Scott’s voice was calm and carried with it the slightest hint of gentle command. Theo bristled internally, but he wasn’t going to let himself be that petty. Theo could feel Scott’s breath ghost over his bare back as he did. “It’ll hurt more if you don’t hold still.”

Theo couldn’t help but tense as he felt the sharp edge dig into his skin. Holding still should not be this difficult, as physical pain something to which he was accustomed. But whenever the blade touched his skin, and he felt the press of Scott’s finger tips, he couldn’t suppress the urge to jerk away.

Scott sighed. The sigh slid around on Theo’s skin like a guilty secret. “This might be the last one in your back, Theo.”

Theo gritted his teeth. He could only hope.

Scott began to talk about the wounds. It sounded like unwelcome babble, but Theo guessed that Scott was trying to distract him from the searching fingers along his back. Scott needed to locate the telltale bumps that indicated a pellet was lodged under the skin. 

“At first, it confused me what Braeden shot you with,” Scott began. “But I’ve seen wounds like this before. This is heavy bird shot, much like the shot from a BB gun. We get a lot animals into the clinic. Stupid kids used them for target practice. The shot might kill a bird, hence the name, but it would drive cats and dogs crazy with pain. We’d have to dig it out; it wasn’t very pleasant. The shot isn’t nearly heavy enough to kill you, even if you are just a …” Scott bit the words back. Theo filled them in: _even if you are just a chimera_. That ellipse still stung.

“When I realized that they weren’t meant to kill you, it occurred to me that they were meant to slow you down. They’re like arrows. Since they aren’t as heavy as large-caliber slugs, they aren’t powerful enough to go through you completely, while smaller caliber slugs are still heavy enough to be pushed out by the healing process. With this size and weight, it’s more likely that the wounds will heal around the pellets. Again, not enough to kill you unless you got hit with a dozen or so direct shots. They can’t easily do fatal damage, but they’re going to be quite painful until we get them out.”

“No … shit,” Theo grated.

“Well, it’s good that they didn’t try to kill you, isn’t it?” Scott offered as a bright side. 

“Are you that big an idiot? The bird shot wasn’t for me, it was meant for you.” Theo snapped.

Scott didn’t answer but he didn’t seem hurt by Theo’s words. With one hand he explored the flesh of Theo’s back, looking for any more place where he’d have to dig under the skin. Scott’s touch was warm and welcome, but that could have been because Theo didn’t have a shirt on and the night air was chill.

“They wanted to have a way of disabling you without killing you,” Theo explained grumpily. “Braeden only used it on me because she had it loaded in her shotgun, ready in case you got violent and past the mountain ash. I’m sure she had several ways to make me permanently dead on her, if she really wanted to.” The chimera couldn’t imagine that Braeden hadn’t really wanted to end him.

“I wasn’t mocking you,” Scott said quietly. 

“No, you weren’t. You were … “ Theo clenched his fists on reflex and cried out as pain shot through his left hand. He forgot that he’d gotten hit there as well. “God damn it.”

“I’m almost done with your back. Hold still.” The alpha’s touch was just as gentle as it was when he first started. It was soothing and somehow frustrating at the same time. 

“I’m going to have to cut deep now.” Scott was using an Exacto knife, which wasn’t exactly a scalpel but close enough for use on people who healed as rapidly as they did. The incision wasn’t that painful to Theo, but it felt far too similar to another, long ago operation to be comfortable. Scott insisted once more, “Hold still.”

Tracy observed from where she was sitting, cross-legged and perched on the wall. “I could paralyze him.”

Theo shot her a glare, and she smirked back. She was joking with him and it was oddly charming. His irritation at being driven off by the mercenary earlier that morning subsided. Scott was being stupidly kind and Tracy was joking with him. Everything wasn’t completely bad. 

“All done with your back. Now, for the hard part.” Scott commented.

“Hard part?” Theo groaned loudly.

“Your hand has more nerves than your back. There’s also a larger chance that some of the shot got wedged in the bone.” Scott stood up and repositioned himself so he was facing Theo. All three of them were sitting on a low concrete wall outside of the abandoned factory. Scott extended his hand, palm up, so Theo could willing give him the hand which had been hit dead on with a blast. “On the good side, it’s not very fleshy, so only the ones that went the deepest will still be embedded.”

Theo placed his hand in Scott’s, but it didn’t mean anything. Scott put it in his lap and began to run his fingertips over it. It was uncomfortably intimate, but he knew that there had to be some pellets buried deep. He turned to Tracy. “Why don’t you give me a run down on what you discovered on your little stroll around town?”

Tracy tilted her head a fraction to the left. Theo was beginning to pick up on her tells. This was her Theo-is-annoying-me-but-he-is-the-Master-so-I-am-pretending-he-didn’t tell. “It wasn’t a stroll. It was reconnaissance.” 

Theo’s eyes filled with tears as Scott dug the blade into his hand. Theo hoped no one noticed.

“I’m sorry,” Scott apologized. “I can’t dig it out and take your pain at the same time.”

“I don’t want you to take my pain!” Theo responded. “I don’t want to be in pain at all!” 

Scott kept working. He didn’t look up from what he was doing. “Tracy?”

“I don’t know how to do that. I don’t even know if I can do it.” Tracy replied.

Theo struggled to get past the next part out without screaming, as Scott seemed to determine to hit that goddamn nerve cluster with every poke of the Exacto knife. “Stop worrying about it, Tracy, and just distract me!”

“As you have probably guessed,” Tracy began, “Liam never showed up at the diner. I called Corey on my phone, but he didn’t answer.”

Theo’s initial reaction had been that Corey had betrayed him, and he was still pretty sure that this was the truth. The timid chimera could have been captured, but Theo had the sneaking suspicion that the earlier violence had been too much for him.

“I’d been there for forty-five minutes when I glimpsed an armed man approaching the store. He was older, maybe in his thirties. He was trying to be stealthy, but it’s pretty hard to be stealthy when you’re carrying a shotgun.” Tracy’s delivery was dead-pan. “I’ve watched enough television to understand that I was most likely the target there, so I went out the back and up to the roof.”

“Probably a wise idea,” Theo’s comments weren’t useful, but they did get his mind off the pain. 

“It’s amazing how little people look up if they’re not expecting someone like me. I listened to the hunter call it in that I was gone. Someone had told him where I was, so it was either Corey or Liam. A little bit later, some old guy showed up with even more well-armed men.” 

“Old guy?” Scott suddenly stirred from his task.

“Gerard Argent.” Theo studied Scott for his reaction. Scott was holding his hand so Theo could feel the tremor in it. Theo couldn’t tell if it was fear or anger. 

“He was certainly in charge. However, he wasn’t looking for me. He was looking for you, Scott.”

Scott grimaced. “Of course he was.”

“He certainly seemed like an important person, so I took a risk.” Tracy shrugged. “I followed them once they left in an SUV. I found that the Argents have a bunker in the woods, near the edge of the Preserve.” 

“Did you know about it, Scott?” 

“Mr. Argent showed it to me once.” Scott returned to exploring Theo’s hand. He didn’t give any indication that he was going to talk about it anymore.

“Since I wasn’t eager to go into a hunter’s bunker by myself,” Tracy continued, “I decided to hitch a ride on top of one of their vehicles and listen in as well as I could to their conversations. Luckily for us, this Gerard person likes to hear himself talk.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” Scott offered.

“We won’t. What’d he say?”

“His primary focus seems to be destroying The Beast. He’s looking for two things: Scott and something he called the Pike. He was pretty upset that Parrish was dead. It seemed that Parrish had been destined to fight The Beast or something.”

Scott stopped what he was doing at those words. Theo didn’t meet his eyes, but the chimera suspected what Scott was doing. The alpha didn’t know how long Theo had been listening to his conversation with Deaton, so he was trying to figure out if he had heard that news. Theo decided to play dumb. 

“Huh.” Theo made it sound like he was clueless.

“So … why is he looking for me?” Scott drawled out. “Other than to kill me, of course.”

“He thinks that you’ll eventually fight The Beast. He said that now you’re the only person with the power to fight it in hand-to-hand.”

“I don’t think that’s true …”

Theo clenched his hands at the reminder that he had failed to become the alpha. “You’re the only alpha who would be stupid enough to get in the middle of this clusterfuck, and only an alpha would have a chance against what we saw. And you and I both know that you’re stupid enough to try, Scott. The only reason you aren’t trying to fight it right now is that I won’t let you.”

Scott bent back over Theo’s hand. 

“Nothing to say?”

“You don’t care what I have to say,” Scott replied.

“That’s awfully mean of you, Scott.” Theo chuckled. “If we’re going to spend as much time to together as I suspect, then we need to get used to being open with each other.”

Scott sighed, not looking up. “It’s killing a lot of people …”

“And you want to stop it. Even after all these things that people have done to you — changing you against your will, forcing you into their packs, twisting you into what they needed — you’re still going to put your ass on the line for ungrateful wretches who couldn’t wait to abandon you. You were seventeen and some dumb fucker told you that you were the Protector of Beacon Hills because his dead mother told him so, when the truth is that he couldn’t find his butt with both hands. And you fell for it.” Theo sucked on his teeth as the knife trembled. “I think, without irony, that I can say that I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you. At least I want to keep you alive.”

Tracy cleared her throat. “If you’re done provoking the man with a knife in your hand, I know more.”

Theo glanced at her and nodded. Yeah, he did get carried away, but it was Scott’s fault for being that much of a martyr. 

“So, Gerard doesn’t seem to go anywhere without an armed escort, and they look like they know what they’re doing. He doesn’t seem to give a damn about his son, because he didn’t even visit him at the hospital.” 

“What’s Chris Argent’s status?” Theo asked.

“According to a nurse I overheard, he’s in a medically induced coma.” Tracy shrugged. “He may be having an allergic reaction to my venom. While I cut him up good, if he had survived the fight, he shouldn’t be that hurt. I wasn’t going for the kill.”

Scott tossed away one of the pellets. He let out a small sound which combined a grunt and a sigh.

“Your dad …” Tracy pursed her lips; she looked at Theo. Theo nodded. “Your father is alive, Scott. He’s suffered a broken back and two broken legs. As far as I heard, there’s no injury to the spinal cord.”

Scott looked up. His eyes were shining. “He’s not … he’s not going to die or be paralyzed?”

Tracy shook her head. “No one I spied on said anything that dire.”

Scott nodded and returned to his work, but Theo could feel the hiccup in his body. 

“Stilinski is keeping at least two deputies at the hospital at all times to protect the wounded.” 

“Deputies aren’t going to stop the Beast.” Theo observed. “That’s just meat back on the menu.”

Tracy agreed with a frown. “In addition, there’s a curfew. You two also have APBs out for your arrest. Murder. Resisting arrest.” 

Scott tensed with misery. It was a small gesture, but Theo could tell because of the intimacy of his hand in Scott’s and the chemo signals. “Any sign of the state police? The CBI? The FBI?”

“According to the chatter I heard, Stilinski is keeping them out of it for the time being. Argent is helping with that. It seems that the family still has powerful political connections.” Tracy took a breath and holds up four fingers. “There’s pretty much four factions now: Argent and his hunters; Liam and his stupid friends; the Sheriff’s faction; and the Doctors. Well, five. I guess we’re a faction.”

“That we are.” Theo looked over at the top of Scott’s head. 

“All done,” Scott announced pushing Theo’s hand away. “Flex it to make sure.”

Theo stood up and flexed his hand and his back. There was no more pain; no more little spikes of discomfort throughout him. He smiled to himself. Now, it was time to turn things to his advantage. “We need a new base of operations. We need new transportation. My truck is going to be too conspicuous, and Corey knows this place.” He turned to Tracy. “Any suggestions?”

“My house. It’s locked up, but I know how to get in without making it look otherwise. We can also use my dad’s second car. It’s a Corvette, so it’ll be a little tight for the four of us. I know where the keys are.”

Scott looked up. “Won’t they look for us there?”

“Maybe. But they’ll be focused mostly on you as the hostage and Theo as the leader. They may not think to come to my house, since it’s been closed up for so long. I need access to a shower, for as long as we stay.” Tracy didn’t mind getting her hands bloody, but she didn’t like staying that way.

Something about the way Tracy said it made Theo make a decision. “Alright. Scott, grab our stuff. We’re moving out.” Scott went back into the abandoned factory with no complaint. “What did you mean by that?” 

Tracy was surprised by the vehemence in Theo’s voice. She didn’t answer immediately.

“What did you mean about ‘as long as we stay’?” Theo repeated.

“Why are we still here, Theo?” Tracy asked. She wasn’t demanding, but there was an undercurrent of steel to her voice. Her loyalty was unquestionable, but she was disturbed. “What purpose does it serve for us to remain in Beacon Hills?”

“Our pack is in Beacon Hills …” Theo began but then trailed off.

“Your fake parents have been exposed. You’re wanted for murder and resisting arrest. You aren’t going to be going back to school. Everyone who cares about Scott knows he’s being controlled now, and those who don’t know about him being control will want him arrested for murder. I’m legally dead, my entire family is dead, and if I were known to be alive, I’d be wanted for murder. What’s left for us here?” She took a step toward him. “Hayden is never going to be with us now. Corey is most likely going to stay with her and Liam. You lost him at the blood bath at the police station.”

“Josh is still ours.” Theo was hopeful that the lightning chimera would at least not turn on him.

“Josh has his family here. Significant, but not enough.” Her voice was cold. “We perhaps could convince him to flee with us, as long as we promised him excitement. If he could get over the fact that you helped the Doctors capture him and then killed him as a gambit.”

“He doesn’t know that. How did you know that?” Theo hadn’t told her about that. 

“I have superior hearing as well, and I’m naturally quiet. I overheard your conversation with Josh in the living room, and I put two and two together. I think Josh’s quicker than you give him credit for, and if he doesn’t figure it out for himself, I’m sure Stilinski will strike at him when he can.”

Theo gritted his teeth. “I didn’t think of that.”

“There’s a reason you isolated Stilinski first, Theo. He’s dangerous. He’s not going to worry as much about collateral damage as McCall would.” She was speaking strategically.

This was the first time Tracy had even come close to challenging him, though it wasn’t really a challenge. She was being loyal. She was forcing him to look at his own decision and his own planning. 

“Why are we still here?” She said again. “Is it loyalty to the Doctors?” 

“Would that bother you?” 

“I’m not loyal to the Doctors. If I thought I’d have a chance of winning, I’d try to tear them apart. I’m loyal to you. I know it’s not … voluntary, but it doesn’t bother me. People need to be able to rely on something. I loved my father, but he couldn’t help me. I think you have the talent to help me … if you want to.” 

“Why wouldn’t I want to? I want a pack. I want to be an alpha. And I don’t think the Doctors will help me with that. They’re done with me, but they’re keeping us around …” Theo finally understood enough to put it into words. “They’re keeping us around because we’re a good distraction. I would do the same. I’m not staying for them.”

“Then why are we still here? Do you have a plan to get more power?” 

“No.” Theo shrugged. “The situation is too chaotic right now. If I hadn’t been so busy with Scott, I might have figured out a way to get power from the Beast. I’m sure that was one of the reason the Surgeon gave me him.”

“You willing to risk his Bite? He bites you, I paralyze him, and you kill him. It may be the only way you get to be an alpha and a real werewolf.”

Theo turned away from her. The truth was he was scared of the risk. Can a chimera survive a werewolf bite? Since chimera tend to be unique in their reactions, even an experiment with Scott biting Hayden or Corey wouldn’t give him a one-hundred percent sure answer. He wasn’t a coward, but he preferred better odds. Then, there was the question if he really wanted to become an alpha that way.

“It’s okay to like him, you know.” Tracy intruded on his thoughts.

“What?”

“It’s okay to like Scott. It’s okay to want someone around who treats you with kindness.” 

Theo scoffed. “Scott doesn’t have any choice but to treat me kindness.”

“That’s a lie,” Tracy replied. “I don’t have any choice but to be loyal to you, but I’m not kind. You don’t rob Scott of his free will all the time. He’s chosen to treat you like he has.”

Theo closed his eyes and shook his head. “He treats everyone like that.”

“Yes. And it’s okay to like it.”

Theo started walking. Tracy had kept repeating the same question because, in all honestly, Theo couldn’t answer it. He didn’t know why he was still here. He had the resources and the knowledge to take what members of his pack he could and go anywhere. Yet, he hesitated to just leave. His instincts told him that he wasn’t finished here yet. 

“I don’t know why we’re still here.” Theo finally admitted. “I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.”

Tracy came up and put a single hand on her shoulder. “I’m just asking you to be careful, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’m content. I’m not powerless any more, I’m not crippled by dreams, and while it cost me my father to get this way, that’s not your fault.” The icy gleam in her eyes revealed that she knew exactly whose fault it was. “Now I’m strong and tough and fast, and if that comes with being connected to someone like you, it’s not a tragedy. I’m not human any more, I see the world with different eyes.” To prove her point, her eyes shifted to the wicked greenish-gold of the kanima. “I’m learning every night what that means, but you don’t have to worry about me.” 

“I don’t.” He felt odd saying this and meaning it. “Thanks.”

Tracy stepped back. “Just remember. It’s okay to like him. He’d probably appreciate it.” She went to help Scott with the equipment.

Theo considered everything that Tracy had to say. He decided right then and there, standing outside in the early morning hours that he was going to set a limit. If Beacon Hills got too dangerous, if he ever felt like he was adrift in the situation with no clear way forward again, he’d take Tracy and Josh and Scott and leave. Immediately. Let this place consume itself. He’d start over elsewhere.

He also thought about what she had said about Scott. He did like it. He did like when Scott was nice to him. Maybe it was a ploy to keep Theo from taking him over as much; maybe it was just an expression of Scott’s nature. 

It was weird, but a good weird. He had killed Scott, he had kidnapped him, and he had transformed him, so there was no element of deception. Scott knew who he was and he knew all the terrible things he was, and Scott still wanted him to eat right and took care of his wounds. 

Once they got the materials, they left the truck there and hiked to Tracy’s house. It was a nice house, if a little small. Tracy got them in through the skylight. She gave them a brief tour. They didn’t really need many lights on. 

“Are you going to be okay in your room?” Scott asked Tracy. 

Tracy smirked. “I’m the scariest thing in there now.” 

Theo popped up. “We’ll use the guest room.” He turned and walked away before any more conversation could be had. Scott followed him up. 

“She may have killed her dad, but she didn’t want to,” Theo explained. “It’d be creepy to sleep in her dad’s room.” He waited to see the softening of Scott’s features before he turned away. He doubted that Tracy would care, but he knew Scott would.

“I can sleep on the floor,” Scott volunteered.

“Nah.” Theo pulled the covers back. It was a queen-sized bed. “We can share.”

Scott hesitated. 

“I think we’ve moved past the point of awkwardness, Scott. You’ve demonstrated you’re not going to kill me, and you’ve touched me today for about an hour straight. Do you really want to sleep on the floor? You’ve got to be exhausted.”

Theo made it sound like the most reasonable thing in the world. It was, after all, what he was best at. Scott looked suspicious but he also looked very tired. To prove his point, Theo pulled the covers back on the bed as if it was completely normal. 

In the end, Theo feel asleep smiling at his minor victory.


	12. The Spirit of the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott makes a surprising offer and puts his plans into motion. Malia makes her appearance but few friends.

Two days had come and gone within a blessed illusion of domesticity. No school. No fighting. Tracy said it felt to her like Winter Recess, though Theo hadn’t actually had one of those since the third grade. If he had to be honest with himself, Theo appreciated the respite their days of hiding gave him. For the first day, he focused on doing absolutely nothing. He watched television, played some video games, and basically made himself comfortable in Tracy’s house. The second day, he got on the computer and began to read the ‘public story’ of what had been going on in Beacon Hills.

Technically, the town was under a curfew because a serial killer had been targeting its populace. It wasn’t far from the truth. If you removed the six chimera killed by the Doctors personally (and not resurrected) and the three deputies killed by Scott, La Bête had personally killed nearly fourteen people, a minimum of one a day since the Surgeon had declared their experiments success. The realization that the Beast was not nearly done was the only low point of those two days; Theo didn’t really want to witness what The Beast would act like once it was fully empowered.

Tracy had also seemed to enjoy the vacation. Rather than lounging about, she had taken care of more practical matters. The utilities were still being supplied to the house, since she discovered that she had not actually been declared legally dead. That was a misconception she had labored under, because without a corpse things were still up in the air. The three of them could live here as long as they didn’t attract any attention. She had also been in contact with her maternal grandparents in Angola. They were immigrants from China, and they owned an olive farm in Namibe province. After hearing of her father’s death, her grandparents had offered to let her move there with them. It was a possible destination if Theo decided that they would leave.

Theo remained unconvinced about cutting and running, even though he still could not answer Tracy’s pointed questions about why they were still here to his own satisfaction, let alone hers. He was always one for concrete goals and clear steps, but even lacking those, it just felt wrong to leave now.

Scott’s last few days had been quiet, though Theo could tell that they had been decidedly less peaceful. He hadn’t tried to contact anyone in his pack or his family nor had he tried to draw attention to himself, but he had been listless and depressed. Theo really couldn’t blame him given the situation. His conversation with his emissary had included some seriously depressing shit. 

Theo didn’t have any worry that Scott might try to kill himself. Not yet, anyway. He had studied Scott McCall for a long time; Scott wouldn’t try attempt anything so final in order to get away from Theo unless he knew that his friends and loved ones were protected first, and that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Theo didn’t plan to let the situation get to the point where Scott considered himself expendable.

Scott wasn’t simplistic, but he had very simple needs. He wanted his friends and loved ones to be safe. He wanted to take care of people. He wanted there to be no needless death. He wanted to be happy. Theo could arrange all of that. It might be simpler to dominate him until he became a mindless puppet, but … Tracy was right. It was okay for Theo to appreciate people being nice to him, and while mindless alpha puppets were useful, they would never able to be nice. 

It was one of the reasons he had insisted Scott share the guest bedroom with him. Theo saw it as the first step in slowly winning Scott over to the idea that if he was stuck with Theo — and he damn well was — at least it was better than being dead. The first night had been strangely comfortable for the chimera. He had fallen asleep pretty quickly, though Scott was still awake when he did so. Scott had awoke first the next morning long before Theo rose, but nothing was said about it by either of them.

The next night saw some interesting developments. Scott had gone to bed first at around nine. He had announced that he was tired, but Theo didn’t really believe it; Scott hadn’t done much of anything at all that day. But by the time Theo turned in, Scott was already asleep. Theo moved as slowly and as cautiously so as to not wake him up. He left less space between the two of them. 

When Theo next came to consciousness, it was late; the clock on the nightstand showed that it was a little after three. Even though he had planned it, he wasn’t initially aware of what was going or who he was with immediately until he realized that he had shifted position in the night. He had one arm throw over Scott and he was spooning him. It was more than comfortable; Theo felt a little surprised by how much he liked it. 

Scott was awake though. It must have been the spike in his heart rate that made the chimera wake up. “Theo?”

“Uhn?” Theo grunted through a sleepy haze. 

“What are you doing?” Scott’s voice was small and faint. He must have been awake for some time. Theo could smell fear in the dark.

“Sleeping.” Theo mumbled. 

Scott’s breath hitched for a moment. “You’re …”

Theo slowly came to a full realization of the situation; casual contact was pretty bold at this point, and it had happened a little faster than he had planned. He was confident he could roll with it. “What?” All he had to do was play it off as no big deal. Let Scott make it as big or as small a deal as he wanted; give Scott the illusion of some control. 

Scott decided not to make a big deal of it. He just lay there in the dark and endured it. Maybe he was afraid that if he pushed Theo away, Theo would compel him to do it. Or maybe Scott was just tired of being alone; Scott had certainly not shown any hesitation to initiate physical contact a few days ago when he removed the pellets from Theo’s hands. 

Theo had long ago learned a key to successful manipulation: _you can’t make people do something unless a part of them already wants to do it_. The end result of the manipulation could be something that your target would despise from the depths of their soul, but the actual actions that a person would take had to be something they could conceive of themselves taking. When he had come for Scott’s pack, his goal wasn’t to make Scott turn his back on his friends. The alpha would never do that. What Theo had accomplish was making the Alpha rely on him, while simultaneously causing him to worry about everyone else. 

History had been Theo’s greatest weapon during his scheme. It didn’t take a psychiatrist to see that the McCall Pack had a strange and inefficient way of dealing with past trauma; they ignored it. Stiles had never fully addressed what he had done under the influence of the nogitsune. Instead, he had desperately clung to the same behaviors that had kept him functional after the death of his mother, even though they weren’t anywhere near appropriate in this instance: lying and deflection. His father and Scott had just let him keep telling them that he was ‘fine’ until everyone pretended they believed it.

Lydia was loyal to the pack, but she had a habit of maintaining her own counsel. It wouldn’t occur to coordinate her investigations with the other members of the pack until it was far too late. Malia gnawed on the bones of her dead mother and sister, allowing the hatred of her birth parents to consume her in return. Liam’s disorder and his experiences with it had made it so easy to get the beta to doubt both himself and Scott. The boy did not trust his own emotions, and so he never really trusted anyone else’s. 

It would have really difficult to create a distance between Kira and Scott. She came from a stable home life with knowledgeable, attentive parents, one of whom had centuries of experience, so Theo had required the help of the Doctors. They had consented to his idea and acted to destabilize her relationship with her fox as soon as they possibly could; she contained so much potential and held so much danger for their plans that they were already worried. Their overpowering of her fox spirit was successful. Scott’s faith in her already had a shaky foundation, eroded by her mother’s repeated warnings about their species not getting along. Theo was also sure that the whisper ‘You really have to learn to never trust a fox’ echoed through Scott’s dreams every night. When Kira left, the bottom dropped out for Scott and no one remained to catch him.

Scott had always wanted the support of his friends, but he would never demand it, especially when they seemed to have their own problems. But that meant Scott would be receptive to support offered by someone like Theo — someone who had helped saved his friends lives, who seemed so positive and so admiring. A part of Scott wanted to trust Theo and rely on him, and by isolating him from those who should have been there … well, people won’t do something unless a part of them wanted to do it.

That was what victory looked like.

Now, the groundwork he was laying for this next gambit was different. Theo’s mask was off; Theo wasn’t someone whom Scott would ever trust. But Scott wasn't simplistic, after all. He also wanted to save people, and Theo could easily become someone that Scott would want to save. All Theo had to do was open the door wide enough to that possibility: give him evidence that Theo could be more than a monster, and Scott would want to see it happen.

In the dark, Theo smiled and went back to sleep.

The sun peeking in through the curtains woke him up. He was no longer spooning Scott. Instead, they were facing each other. Scott was looking at him, his eyes solemn and dark. How long had he been looking at Theo like that?

Scott spoke first. “I’ll give it to you.”

Theo didn’t understand at first. That must have showed on his face.

“I’ll give it to you. I’ll make you an alpha.” Scott’s voice was resigned.

Theo’s face must have shown his shock. He’d been so proud of his manipulation, but this was more than he had imagined. He was suspicious.

“I never wanted to be a werewolf.” Scott was looking at him straight in the eyes. Theo could hear his heart beat steadily and true. “I never wanted to be an alpha. I accepted the first and I embraced the second because power was the only way to save those I loved. This is no different. You let me stop the Beast and the Doctors … you _help_ me stop them, and I’ll give my alpha spark to you.”

Theo shook the sleep from his mind. He stared back, seeking to peel the layers of Scott’s face to get to the truth underneath. The device allowed Theo to control Scott’s body and mind; it didn’t allow him to read it.

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll talk to Deaton.” Scott shifted in the bed. “Maybe he knows a way.”

“You think he’s going to go along with it …?”

“He’ll do what I ask.” Scott said confidently. “I know him better than you. He’s my Emissary, and if I asked him for advice, he’ll give it.”

Theo schooled his face to keep still. “And what about your pack?”

“I’ll have saved them. That’s all I want to do, all I ever wanted to do, but I know now that I can’t keep them happy all the time.” Scott closed his eyes. 

“I’m not letting you go.” Theo promised. “Even if I’m alpha, you’re still mine.”

“I didn’t think you would.” 

“If this is some sort of a trick, you’ll do things that make the police station look like a tea party.” Theo warned in a serious voice. 

“I know, Theo.” Scott opened his eyes; the red glow was intense in the dim room. “For you, it’s a risk. Are these enough for you to stand against the Doctors and the Beast?” 

Theo considered it. He had the chance now to have both what he wanted — an alpha’s eyes — and Scott McCall. It would mean standing up to the Doctors, but he had a feeling that his usefulness to them was close to being played out. They wouldn’t come after him, but if the Beast wanted to tear him apart, they wouldn’t protect him. 

The time had come. The indecision that had plagued him for the last week or so he had tolerated because he couldn’t see a way forward. Running seemed anticlimactic. But this — this was a chance to get even more of what he wanted. Theo had to make a decision. 

The red eyes were the prize; they had always been the prize. “You have a deal. What do you need?” 

“First,” Scott stated. “I have to talk to my friends.”

###### 

The howl reverberated off the cliffs that surrounded Beacon Hills. It echoed down among the branches of the Preserve. It rattled windows in nearby buildings and caused many late-night travelers to freeze in fear. At the police station, a sheriff who found himself feeling more and more like an old man contemplated a bottle of whiskey in the middle of the night. At the hospital, a woman dropped a tray she was taking to a patient, her breath catching in her throat. At the animal clinic, all the dogs raised their voices in unison with that howl; a tired man turned the light on in the back room to consider what had gone wrong. 

Scott stood away from the cliff. “Now we wait.” He turned to the three chimeras standing on the cliff with him.

“That was awesome!” Josh said. He was easily entertained. Theo cut eyes at him; he’d show Josh what a roar was when _he_ had the alpha power.

“How long will it take?” Tracy was always underscoring the moment with practical questions.

“Every member of my pack heard it. Any werewolf heard it. They still have to get here.” Scott shrugged. “They still have to decide to come.”

Tracy nodded and sat on a fallen log and made herself comfortable. Josh started tossing rocks off the cliff face. Scott stood in darkness, the clouds covering the half-moon, waiting. He must have heightened his senses all the way to their fullest.

“We give it an hour, Scott.” Theo decided. There was part of him that hoped no one would show up. If that happened, it would crush Scott completely. Then he’d offer a different plan, _his plan_ , for defeating the Beast and the Doctors.

Time passed. Eventually, Josh and Tracy started a game of Words with Friends on their phones. Or more precisely, Tracy played on her phone, while Josh played on Theo’s. Josh had picked up a nasty habit of burning out his own phones quickly. No modern phone could stand a full discharge of his power. Theo had threatened Josh very graphically if he lost control and destroyed Theo’s Samsung.

All the time, Scott stood in the same place, dead leaves pooling about his feet, frozen on high alert, waiting for his pack to come. Fifteen minutes passed, which was the minimum time that Theo had estimated it would take someone to get there. It came and went, and there was no one. Theo took to pacing. He wasn’t bored; he was planning. He could learn a lot about the situation by who showed and when they showed.

“You know, Lydia’s still in Eichen House. She probably heard you, but she won’t be able to get here.”

Scott nodded once. It looked like he wasn’t in a talkative mood.

Thirty minutes passed. Thank God for smart phones. Theo was learning more and more about Josh every day, and he wasn’t liking what he learned. He could work with a mediocre student, but Josh was more than that. He was easily bored and completely unambitious. He wasn’t particularly interested in himself or what was going around him. Theo would have to figure out a way to motivate him, because if he meant to leave, he doubt he could get Josh to go with him without threats.

Threats hadn’t worked out well with Hayden or Corey, had it? Scott was of the opinion that the First Chimera had to _care_ for his pack if he really wanted to be the alpha. That was harder than it might sound, but Theo claimed the right to play the winner on the next game of Words with Friends.

Theo spoke up again while waiting. “Kira’s too far away, most likely.”

Scott nodded again. 

Forty-five minutes had passed. Theo had beaten Josh soundly at the game, but it hadn’t bothered the other boy. Theo got the idea that nothing much bothered Josh unless it included a lot of pain or a lot of pleasure. He handed the phone wordlessly back to Tracy. Scott was still standing in the exact same position he had been standing at the start of it all. To Theo’s eyes, there was a quiver in the alpha’s leg. He was tense. He wanted someone to come, but he was running out of time. 

Theo walked over to Scott and got in his line of sight.

“You gave me an hour.” Scott’s voice was firm. “It’s not been an hour yet.”

Theo glanced over his shoulder at Tracy who flipped up her phone so he could see the time. Theo spread his arms out in a what-can-I-do gesture.

“They’ll come.” Scott’s voice held confidence. Theo’s eyes were sharp enough to show that his body, on the other hand, was having doubts. Scott would rub his hands over his pants every once in a while. He was tense, not relaxed. The idea that no one would come was beginning to eat at him.

So it was that Theo had to feel a little pang of disappointment when he heard someone approach the clearing. He almost didn’t hear it; whoever it was very good at moving through the Preserve without making sounds. Scott’s whole body relaxed to a relieved quiver. 

“Malia. It’s not a trap.” The alpha called out.

“It certainly looks like a trap.” The werecoyote emerged on the edge of the clearing. It didn’t look like she was planning to come any closer. Her eyes were glowing and her claws were out. She had come ready for a fight.

“They’re not going to do anything to you,” Scott said heavily. “Isn’t that right, Theo?”

“Nope. We’re just here to talk.”

Malia growled at him. “You talk a lot, Theo. One day I’m going to see how much you can talk when I break your jaw in three places.”

Tracy was up immediately and growling right back. She flexed her claws but she hadn’t yet brought out her tail.

“Shut up, lizard-breath, or I’ll beat your ass as badly as I did last time.” 

“Malia.” Scott’s voice was not one of command. He was simply so relieved that she was there. Malia took a step back, but she didn’t lose the eyes or the claws. Theo gestured for Tracy to move back. 

“Is this everyone, Scott?” Theo asked. “You’ve got ten more minutes, if you wish to wait.”

“No one else is coming.” Malia spoke bluntly. 

Theo watched that hit Scott square in the solar plexus. The alpha tried to hide it. 

“I was hoping for more, Malia, but I’m …”

Malia just went right on as if nothing was amiss. “Stiles and Kira aren’t in town. Hayden, Corey, and Mason wouldn’t let Liam come. There’s really no one else who would answer you, right?”

The flinch that Scott made was almost invisible but it was still there. “It doesn’t matter. I need to speak to everyone. You, Stiles, Liam, everybody. We have to …”

“We?” Malia asked. “The first thing they’re going to ask me who it was I talked to. Scott or Puppet-Scott.”

Scott stood still. “You can’t tell?” 

“I thought I could, but I’m not sure anymore. I thought I understood Stiles, and I didn’t understand him at all. So, if I’m going to play messenger, I need to know who I am doing it for.”

Theo laughed. “I’m certainly going to be at the meeting, but this is all Scott’s idea.” 

Scott didn’t make a move toward Malia. “It’s my idea. I’ve … I’ve convinced Theo that we can’t let the Doctors and their Beast just keep killing people. But that’s going to take more than me and more than Theo, Tracy, and Josh. It’s going to take everybody.”

Malia sniffed the air. “So you want us all to work together? Work with _him_?”

At the tone of utter derision in Malia’s voice, Tracy hissed at her. Theo was enjoying this quite too much. “You’re awfully judgmental for someone who was plotting to kill her birth mother behind her alpha’s back.”

If looks could kill, Theo would be under the ground. Scott clenched his jaw. 

“It doesn’t matter what Malia was going to do …” Scott began.

“Doesn’t it, Scott? She told everyone she was done pursing the Desert Wolf, but she never stopped.” Theo smirked. “But you somehow managed to find her, Malia; is she dead?”

Scott turned to Theo. “What are you doing, this wasn’t our …”

“I’m clearing the air, Scott,” Theo said and stepped forward. “Your pack is sitting out there pretending that you’re the untrustworthy one because I can control you, when they’re the ones that have been lying to you for weeks and weeks, plotting their little murder sprees. When you rescued Deaton, did you get her, Malia?” 

Malia had been glaring at Theo, but she wasn’t stupid. She could snarl and snap all she liked, but she was outnumbered. “No. She’s still in Beacon Hills.” 

Scott’s face fell. “You knew that your mother had Deaton? Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Malia’s face contorted with anger and guilt and then fell to resignation. “For the same reason I didn’t tell you that I knew that Stiles had killed Donovan. I’m not like you Scott, and I’m never going to be. You spend so much effort trying to save strangers and the bad guys that you don’t have any left for us.” 

Theo took a step back. This was going to be good. 

“You … you knew about Donovan. And you didn’t say anything?” Scott exclaimed, disbelieving. “Do you … do you know …”

Malia shrugged. “It didn’t matter to me. I thought Stiles would be able to hide it from you.” 

Scott stared at Malia for minutes. His face searched hers for something. Theo imagined he was trying to process what she had said. Finally, the alpha said softly. “How am I supposed to … to help you if I don’t know what’s going on? 

Malia shifted uncomfortably. She shrugged. “I didn’t want your help. I want the Desert Wolf to pay for what she did to my family. You’d never even considered revenge; you’d try to stop me. I didn’t want you to stop me.”

Scott head drooped until his chin was almost resting on his chest.

Malia tried to cheer him up. “Come on, Scott, it’s not like you haven’t let him lie to you before.”

Scott snapped up. “I’ve seen alphas who don’t care what happens to their pack. I’m not like that. You and Stiles should have known that.” 

Theo cleared his throat. “This is lovely and all, but we have things to do.”

Scott rubbed his face with his hands. “Malia, if you consider yourself a member of my pack, then do this for me. Tomorrow night, after nightfall, bring everyone to the animal clinic. We’ve got to put together a way to stop the Beast. I want anyone who can still walk to come.” He paused. “Except my mother. She’s not to come.”

Malia turned her head to the side. “Sure, I can do that.”

“All of my pack will be there,” Theo prompted. “I’m sure it’s going to be a very interesting evening.”


	13. The Concordat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo's pack meets with the remains of the other pack at Deaton's office. Some things are said that can't be unsaid.

The Beacon Hills Animal Clinic had never looked like a nerve center of supernatural activity. It looked like a simple brick-box office building, similar to hundreds of thousands of buildings just like it scattered across the United States. Built in the early 1980s, its location hovered in that nebulous gray area between Beacon Hills’ business district and the lower-middle-class neighborhood where the McCall home stood. Unassuming but secure, squatting on an intersection of the telluric currents, few mundane people would realize it was the supernatural equivalent of a fortress.

The dingy, dangerous-looking alley on its south side was foreboding to most mundane people. He knew that one of the Darach’s sacrifice had disappeared from there one night, but Theo didn’t feel any anxiety as his pack navigated between dumpsters and refuse. Few noticed what happened here, or why there were always vehicles present after hours. Theo certainly had no clear reason to fear with Tracy on his right, Scott on his left, and Josh coming up the read. If this were a trap, it had better be a damn good one. He didn’t think he had to worry about that, because everything he had ever learned about Deaton told him that the druid took his role as diplomat seriously. The man wouldn’t approve of violating a flag of truce.

Scott pushed the door open, even though the sign said closed. Inside the clinic, the veterinarian met them at the wooden gate, opening it soundlessly, in a gesture of hospitality. His face was a seamless mask of neutrality. Scott searched the man’s gaze and then looked away. 

The back treatment room was filled to the point of being crowded. In one corner, Stiles stood protectively near his father; the Sheriff was no longer confined to a wheelchair but managing to get around on crutches. Malia stood in the opposite corner from Stiles, seemingly unwilling to be near him, accompanied by sour-looking Braeden. The mercenary wasn’t carrying any weapons … openly. Mason and Liam occupied a middle space between them, but, unlike Deaton, they couldn’t meet Scott’s eyes. Theo was glad that neither Corey nor Hayden were there; at least, Corey wasn’t visibly in the room. There were too many heartbeats and too many scents for Theo to be sure. 

Theo felt that this evening would go better for him without a confrontation, but that might not be possible. Standing in the middle of the room were two people with only a metal examining table between them and Theo’s pack, and they were definitely going to cause a confrontation. The first was Melissa McCall, and the second was a tall, blond werewolf that had to be Isaac Lahey. Scott’s heartbeat rocketed to the point that Theo was worried he might pass out.

Everyone remained frozen between one moment and the next until someone broke the spell. “I said …” Scott spoke out, slowly and achingly. “I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want her to be here.”

“Scott.” Melissa placed both hands on the table for support. Her tone was somewhere between a plea and a command. She didn’t look well. She looked gray and grieving.

“No.” Scott’s voice sounded like gravel rolling over glass. “This isn’t the time or the place for this.” 

“Honey, I just want you to come home.” Melissa’s voice was just as rough. Theo noticed that Lahey was essentially supporting her physically. The gaze he leveled at Scott was unreadable.

“I can’t.” Scott’s eyes glowed. Every supernatural creature in the room could hear him struggling to keep his heart rate down. “But I’m doing what you said, I’m giving them hope. That’s what I’m supposed to do.” 

“That’s not what I meant …” Melissa trailed off. 

Scott cut off his mother with sharp words. “It’s not? I guess that’s my fault, too.” His claws slowly extended. It was beginning to be hard to understand around what Scott was saying around his fangs. “Though maybe you could have time to explain it better, if you hadn’t had to run off to the hospital to comfort your real son. You know, the human one. After all, humans need comfort and protection; alphas need to get back to work.” 

Stiles mouth dropped open in disbelief. “You don’t believe …” 

“Leave now.” Scott ordered his mother. “Leave now, or I will, and you’ll never see me again. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay the man you needed me to be so you could keep looking me in the face, but I can’t change that now. So you need to leave.” 

The atmosphere grew close and uncomfortable. Even Josh, who barely paid attention half of the time, was fidgeting nervously. Deaton stepped forward as Scott’s mother sobbed. “Melissa, maybe it is best that you go.” He reached out for her hand and led her out into the outer room. 

Stiles had regained his composure. “Scott, she’s your mom. She’s not going to hold what that asshole did to you against you.”

“And what if I hold it against her? But I don’t want to talk to you, either. You’re a liar, a traitor, and a killer. You got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled.” Scott snarled at Stiles. “I didn’t come here stuffed in the back of a tiny Corvette to listen to scum like you babble at me. Get out!”

Theo blinked at Scott’s sudden outburst of anger. The alpha had never spoken like that to _him_ like he had spoken to his mother and Stiles, and Theo had enslaved him. He guessed it was true what they say: It was easier to forgive an enemy than a friend.

Stiles froze in place at those words; he didn’t breathe. Strangely enough, his heart beat began to slow; his eyes narrowed and then widened, as if he had figured some puzzle out. Theo studied him but Stiles gave no more hints as to what he was thinking. Without a word, he left the room, just as Deaton came back in. 

The Sheriff watched his son leave, without moving to stop him. “Scott, I think you’re angry, and you have a right to be angry, but you’re taking it out on the wrong people.”

“Shut up.” Scott turned on the Sheriff viciously. “Contrary to the way you act, I’m not actually on your goddamn payroll. You don’t get to tell me how I treat my pack.” Scott’s hands flexed, and his claws actually grew bigger. For a moment, Theo thought that he would actually have to step between the two of them. This was not how he imagined this would go, but it did make him happy. He’d damaged a lot more relationships than he thought. Scott’s reputation and behavior had always seemed to so forgiving, but he guessed even True Alphas had their limits. Or maybe the implant’s bleed-over was farther along than anyone had guessed.

The Sheriff jutted out his jaw. “I’m still the law here, son.”

“Yeah, you are. Have you arrested Stiles yet for manslaughter? For failure to report a crime? You must certainly know by now that he killed Donovan and lied about it – not just to me, but to everyone. I mean, after all, you arrested Kira with less evidence!”

“Kira was a mistake.” Noah Stilinski did not pale before a teenage boy’s wrath, alpha or not.

Scott wasn’t mollified by the sheriff’s admission. His mother’s presence had obviously ripped open a reservoir of anger that now spilled out over the room. “Isn’t it remarkable how easy that is for you to say that when you’re trying to find yet another way to let Stiles off the hook? How’d you find out about Donovan anyway? Stiles didn’t tell you the truth, because you’ve let him lie to you for years. He’s lied and lied and you know he’s lied and you did nothing.” Scott snapped his teeth in rage, like an angry dog. “Did you pat him on the head and tell him he didn’t do anything wrong? Did you tell him to forgive me for actually holding him to the standards of a decent human being?” 

Deaton finally stepped in, spreading his hands to placate the werewolf. “Scott, I know you’re upset, but this isn’t productive.” 

“I’m the monster now; I get to monologue. Just ask Peter. Everyone lets that fucker say whatever he wants anytime he wants.” Scott’s bitterness couldn’t be contained.

Every heartbeat that belonged to a non-chimera in the room roared a crescendo. Eyes dilated; breath was held. Scott was so tightly wound that Theo was sincerely worried that this might end in violence. He had to play peacekeeper. 

“Scott,” Theo spoke soothingly to everyone, “has convinced me that it is in my best interest to stop the Beast. The easiest way to do that is to find the successful chimera who is its host and take care of them.” He laid a hand on Scott’s arm, both in an attempt to calm him and in a possessive way. 

Isaac Lahey, dressed in dark, utilitarian clothing like a hunter would wear, sporting a laughable attempt at a goatee, looked like he wanted to charge across the room and rip Theo’s offending hand off at the wrist. The rest of Scott’s pack were looking at anywhere but the alpha, but they were listening. The sheriff was steaming but quiet. Theo couldn’t tell if Scott’s assault had just made the elder Stilinski angry or if it had hit a nerve. Braeden was eyeing Theo from the back corner like calculating how to kill him. Deaton was the only one eager to engage with him. Maybe he was just eager to change the subject.

“My investigation of the Doctors’ laboratories in Russia offered me a great deal of insight into their methods and a few answers. Unfortunately, they’re not all the answers we need.” Deaton began.

“Anything you can tell us would be helpful,” Scott said. It seemed that Scott’s anger did not extend to the veterinarian, and between his words and Theo’s gesture, he was beginning to return to normal. “That’s the real reason we’re all here.”

Deaton glanced calculatingly at the pair of them; Theo expected him to be trying to figure out how much influence Theo was wielding. “I will have to start with some basic principles, because while some of you might understand what I am going to talk about, others of you will not. I’m going to start by concentrating on the differences between science and magic, because that is the source of the Doctors’ unique strength: their ability to blend the two disciplines.”

Theo shifted uncomfortably; by participating in this meeting, he was now committed to go against his patrons. Josh looked uncomfortable at the mention of the Doctors, but Tracy seemed eager to hear the veterinarian’s finding. She had absolutely backed Theo’s decision to help Scott and not only because of her loyalty to Theo. She wanted payback.

“It’s said that magic is just science we don’t understand yet, and that is absolutely true. But like mundane science, magic can be employed in certain ways to achieve certain goals. When doing so, there are certain rules that the user must abide by, just like mundane science. The two disciplines even share some rules, such as the law of the conservation of energy and matter or the law of momentum.” 

Deaton took a jar from one of shelves and put it on the table. “One of the principles that both magic and science share is the idea of power. A certain task takes a certain amount of power. When I blow on this jar, it won’t move.” He demonstrated that statement. “I am applying force to the object, but it is not enough force to accomplish what I want. On the other hand …” He pushed the jar with his finger.

“The law of momentum,” Mason stated clearly. “Certain magic acts take more power than others.” 

“Yes. As an example, one form of magic that you have all experienced is a mountain ash line.” Deaton opened the jar and threw a protective circle around himself. “Laying out a circle or tossing it in the air are similar actions, but one takes more power than the other. This power comes from belief.” 

Liam’s head shot up at that demonstration and Theo caught his eye. It might be counterproductive, but Theo couldn’t help but smirk at him. Everyone heard Liam’s knuckles crack as he formed a fist.

“What the Doctors have done should require an incredible amount of power, far greater than anything I’ve ever seen. By the laws of magic that I know and the laws of science I have studied, it shouldn’t be possible.” 

“Even using the Nemeton?” Scott asked quietly.

“The Nemeton has been awakened, but it could only do something like this if the Darach had completed her sacrifices.” Deaton explained. “Even then, such a resurrection would be beyond her capabilities.”

The sheriff, far from being lost, seemed to be following along pretty well. He might not have the patience for the subtleties of the supernatural, Theo reasoned, but he understood motive, method and opportunity. “But Peter Hale resurrected himself, though I’m not sure how the hell that happened.”

Deaton pointed at the sheriff. “It might be productive to talk about Peter’s resurrection. His process required far less power when compared to the resurrection of La Bête. The conditions were very different, he wasn’t dead for very long, and he had a very useful tool he needed at hand.” 

“Lydia.” Isaac spoke for the first time. It was brusque and clipped. His eyes were focused on Scott’s left breast. Scott’s eyes had raked over his old beta, but no words had forced themselves out of his throat.

“One of the key principles of magic is sympathy,” Deaton picked up a handful of the mountain ash, breaking the circle. “Peoples, places, and things form connections to each other over time. The rowan tree, or mountain ash, has been seen as a ward against the supernatural for centuries. That connection, that sympathy, allows the one using magic to channel power through it. Peter arranged for a lot of sympathy for his resurrection which reduced the amount of power he needed.”

“He used Derek, his blood relative and the man who killed him.” Isaac suggested.

“It happened in the Hale House, where he had lived, where he been killed, and where he had been buried.” The sheriff added. At several glances, he explained, “Stiles told me.”

“It happened on the Worm Moon.” Scott spoke out loud. “And he had bit Lydia.”

“Lydia was crucial. As a banshee, she was already a link between the world of the living and the world of the dead. As his proxy, she was able to gather the energy from her birthday party and focus power stolen from Derek through these sympathetic connections to begin the process of resurrection.”

“That sounds really complex,” Braeden complained. “How does that compare to raising the Beast?” 

“That was exactly the problem for the Doctors. Peter’s resurrection was very complex, but it would be nothing compared to the complexity of trying to resurrect La Bête de Gévaudan.” Deaton continued. “Technically speaking, it should have been impossible for them to bring back an immanent werewolf who had been dead for more than two-and-a-half centuries, even with the power of a partially-activated Nemeton. That’s not even taking into account the precautions used against the Beast, such as damnatio memoriae. It shouldn’t have happened according to all the rules of magic I know.” 

Malia had still not looked up from what had been a very interesting floor. “What’s that?”

Mason said excitedly. “It was an ancient punishment for really, really bad people.” He went on to explain the details, talking about erasing a person’s identity completely. “Why would that matter?”

Deaton smiled. “Sympathy. Think once again about how many connections that Peter had in place.”

“So most of the Beast’s connections have been long destroyed.” Scott finished. “So how did they do it?”

“They broke the rules; or, more precisely, they created new ones.” Deaton’s eyes slid to Theo, Josh and Tracy. “The chimera were designed to serve not only as potential hosts for the Beast, but they were also designed to make that resurrection possible. If successful, a chimera would generate a powerful but false sympathy, which the Doctors called … “

“Frequency.” Theo finished. “I was their first. They said they came close …”

“Obviously,” sneered Malia. 

Theo sneered right back. “They said they came close, but I couldn’t be what they wanted.” 

“The multiple attempts to create chimeras were efforts to create one that matched the Beast’s original frequency. It would sharply lessen the power required to something within the realm of possibility.” Deaton continued. “Obviously, since they’ve brought it back, they succeeded in matching that frequency.”

Tracy growled back in her throat. She wasn’t angry at anyone in the room though. “That’s why they killed us after they decided we were failures, so our frequencies wouldn’t confuse their other experiments. And why they didn’t mind you bringing us back, Theo. They already had their success.”

“That is, unfortunately, true.” Deaton managed to look sympathetic to Tracy.

Isaac raised his hand, and then blushed a little. He wasn’t in school any more. “The Argents showed me a mural with Parrish fighting the Beast. Why was he important?”

Scott swallowed. The scent of misery filled the air. Theo was too busy thinking about the device that was matching Scott’s frequency to his.

“I can only guess that Parrish’s presence was a reaction to the sacrifices. Even with the chimera, the Doctors would need its power, and as this arcane science is an abomination, the natural system of even a damaged Nemeton would summon a guardian.

“Can we use this frequency to find the host?” Scott asked, suddenly. Theo imagined that Scott didn’t want to linger on the subject of the destroyed deputy. 

“If we had a way to detect the necessary frequency, yes.” Deaton said. “But we are working on a limited amount of time.” He went on to explain that the Doctors needed the Beast to fully remember itself. Once it did, then the resurrection would be complete. 

Scott turned to Theo with a question in his eyes, but Theo shook his head. “The only equipment I know about to find something with a specific frequency would require me knowing something about the Beast itself in order to find its host, and I don’t.” 

Scott turned his eyes to the door that Stiles had left through. It was only a quick glance, but Theo had caught it. Scott was used to having Stiles’ lightning quick thinking, which was no longer going to be possible. Theo had wanted that talent on his side as well. Give him time.

Isaac suggested. “What about Lydia? Maybe she could find the frequency. After all, you said she already serves as a bridge between the land of the living and the dead.” 

Deaton nodded with enthusiasm. “While I am not an expert on banshees that should certainly fall within her capabilities. Was she not invited? I haven’t seen her since I came back.”

Braeden’s, Malia’s, Liam’s, Mason’s and the sheriff’s eyes went to Theo. He shrugged in faux innocence. “How was I to know?” 

“Theo broke her,” Liam spat out in anger. Scott didn’t say anything; he already knew that Lydia was in Eichen.

“I needed to find the Nemeton; Lydia had been there. Collateral damage.” Theo tried to play it off.

“I’ll ‘collateral damage’ you …” Braeden started. 

“Enough!” Scott spoke out loud. He paused as everyone looked at him again. “We’re never going to get anywhere if we focus on what we’ve done to whom, and that goes for me, too. As Doc said, it’s not productive. How hard would it be to get her out?”

Deaton smiled a tiny smile at Scott. The veterinarian seemed content with the re-emergence of the boy he knew. “I have a close personal relationship with Dr. Fenris, the present head of the facility.” 

Isaac shook his head. “Uh, sorry, Gerard and I went there to check something out – don’t ask me, I don’t know what he wanted to check on – before the … “ Isaac hesitated. “Before the fight at the police station. There’s a new administrator.” Isaac dug out his phone.

“I can talk to Natalie,” the sheriff offered. “She should be able to get Lydia out of Eichen.”

Deaton was about to thank Noah, when Isaac looked up from his phone. “Yeah. This is the guy. Dr. Gabriel Valack.” Deaton whirled about. 

“Are you sure? That’s not possible!” Deaton looked upset. “He once ran the place, but then he became an inmate and for good reason.”

“I heard about him,” Malia added. “He has that creepy third eye.”

“Not anymore,” Theo chuckled. When all eyes turned to him, he shrugged. “The book was a trap. The Doctors wanted to make sure that Valack couldn’t use his powers to interfere with their plans, so they left Valack’s book in Tracy’s bedroom, knowing you’d investigate. They also knew that bringing an unstable thunder kitsune into Eichen House would disrupt the defenses.”

Tracy frowned behind him. She didn’t frown as much as Scott did. In fact, Scott growled at him. 

Theo raised his hands, palms out, in defense. “Hey, don’t be a hypocrite. Let’s not focus on who did what to whom.” 

Scott forced the growl back down. “How bad is it that Valack is in charge?” He was looking at Deaton.

“Gabriel Valack performed human experimentation which was ethically and morally reprehensible. He is obsessed with amplifying supernatural abilities, but his experiments killed all their subjects. _All_ of them.” 

“Wonderful,” sighed Malia. “Lydia’s trapped with a psycho.”

“Valack’s got it in for the Doctors,” Theo added. “They used him to get access to mundane world science research, promising to let him in on their secrets. When they got it, they erased his memory and ruined his career. If he’s still trying to get back at them, he might already know how useful Lydia could be.” 

“Revenge,” Scott muttered to himself. “It’s always revenge. We need to get her out of there.”

“Agreed,” said Deaton. “We ultimately need to see to Valack’s removal, but our primary goal should be to rescue Lydia as soon as possible.”

“We break her out.” Scott stated. “It’s that simple. We find a way in, we secure her, we get her out, and we take her to the hospital or to you, Doc. Once she’s better, she tells us who the host is.”

“It’s that simple?” Liam asks. He had yet to look above the level of Scott’s knees. 

“It’s that simple. Nothing fancy.” Scott turned to the Sheriff. “If you can’t get Ms. Martin to get her out of there, can you get Stiles to plan an assault? He’s good at that.”

The alpha and the sheriff matched eyes. It was a test of wills. Theo thought that the sheriff might refuse, but the man must have understood that Stiles would do anything for Lydia. 

“We’ll help,” Theo stated. “Unlike real supernatural creatures, the mountain ash of the Closed Ward won’t stop us. We’re your best chance to get her out of there.”

“I’m not comfortable … “ The sheriff began.

“People are dying, Sheriff. Lydia might be in danger. I don’t really care if you’re uncomfortable with us chimeras.” Scott interrupted grimly. “If you don’t want to use us, then come up with another idea. Just do it quickly.”

Scott didn’t realize what he had said, but everyone else did. Lost in his determination, the alpha didn’t notice looks of horror that spread around the room. Scott made his way to the door, and only then did he notice that around, everyone was looking at him. “What are you looking at me for?” Scott suddenly demanded. “What do you want?”

Theo realized that everyone not in his pack was looking at Scott, filled with shame or expectation or concern. He stopped himself from smiling. This wasn’t going to end the way it had been before. The new end had already been written. 

“Oh.” Scott thought they were looking at him for leadership. “Things are bad, but things are always bad. But I know you, and you know me. You may not be able to trust me anymore, but I trust you. _I trust you_. I’ve always believed in you, even when I’m angry, even when I’m disappointed. I don’t know what’s going to happen after we stop the Beast and the Doctors, but that doesn’t make any difference. We have to stop them.”

After promising to contact, Dr. Deaton periodically, Theo and his pack left the room. Theo chuckled; the others wouldn’t start discussing what would happen until they were well and truly away. He gave Scott an appraising glance.

“What?” Scott snapped at him. For all his speechifying, he was still on edge.

“Not your best speech.” Theo chuckled. 

“I don’t know what you want. I don’t know what they wanted.” Scott jerked his hand over his shoulder to indicate the people in the other room. “I didn’t lie. We can save the chimera before the Beast consumes them. We can stop the Doctors. But a speech isn’t going to make things go back to how they were. Parrish, Clarke, and Ramirez are still dead. Even if we beat them, even if somehow they find a way to remove this thing from me …”

“Which they won’t,” Theo reminded him, sternly. 

“Which they won’t.” Scott grimaced in false apology. “It doesn’t change the fact that they weren’t there. I was half dead, I had powerful people trying to kill me, and they were … too busy doing other things. It doesn’t matter if they were working out their personal demons, feeling sorry for themselves, or needing their distance. I thought they were my friends; I thought they were my pack. And, yeah, you fooled me, but …”

Theo patted him insincerely on the shoulder. “I manipulated them just as much, but you’re the only one who gets to pay the consequences. Hurts, doesn’t it?” 

“They left. Just like my dad. Just like my mom. When I needed them, they weren’t there.” Scott left the clinic. Theo smirked at Tracy and Josh and then followed the alpha.


	14. The Broken Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Scott work with others to free Lydia from Eichen House. Theo starts to explore the ways in which the device is changing Scott's personality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried three times to write a 'break out from Eichen' scene. None of it was anywhere near as good as the show's, and it really doesn't help expand the themes I was working on, so I cut it.

The interior of Corvette fell into stubborn silence after they left the animal clinic; even if he didn’t have supernatural hearing, Theo could have heard the wheels every time they hit a bump in the pavement. Tracy drove with one eye constantly on the rear-view mirror, making sure that they weren’t being followed. When they dropped Josh off at his family’s home, he was the only who spoke in farewell. Instead, Theo occupied the passenger seat contemplating what they had learned in the meeting at the animal clinic. Lydia Martin might be the key to figuring out the identity of the last chimera. Theo smiled to himself as he glanced at the back seat to see Scott staring out the window as the quiet city rushing past.

 _Or next-to-last chimera_ , Theo thought to himself. He wasn’t stupid, so he wasn’t going to put too much value in Scott’s slip of the tongue. He wasn’t going to suddenly trust Scott to act in his best interest. But a slip was a slip, and a mistake was a mistake, and it meant something.

The truth was, and he would never tell the alpha this, that he didn’t exactly know if Scott qualified as a chimera or not. Obviously, the Doctors had utilized the changes done to his body during the brief time Scott was a berserker, and they had created Noah Patrick as a berserker chimera so they obviously had experience with berserkers. The Doctors’ explanation of what they had done to Scott had been cursory, and it was clear now the idea had been to keep Theo happy and to keep the Doctors’ enemies focused in exactly the wrong direction.

It had worked very, very effectively.

They reached the Stewart home after both Theo and Tracy had done everything of which they could think to make sure they had been followed. Tracy went to put the license plates back on the car, while Theo and Scott let themselves inside. Scott immediately went to the guest bedroom and subjected the entire house to the collected hits of Evanescence at a volume slightly less than deafening. Theo wasn’t surprised at the werewolf’s reaction, but he was hungry, so he started cooking some dinner for all three of them. Every living thing, no matter what species, had to eat.

Scott did not join them at the table. Once finished with their dinner, Tracy started to do the dishes, while Theo made a plate of the leftovers and brought it to the guest room. Theo intended this kindness to be another step forward. He knocked on the door, knowing that Scott’s hearing, far better than his, would hear it even over the music. The stereo suddenly shut off. 

“You know don’t have to knock,” Scott said through the door.

“Well, I know that.” Theo joked, coming in. “It certainly sounded like you didn’t want to be disturbed.”

“I don't mind, not really. I didn’t want to think.” Scott replied listlessly. He looked at the plate in Theo’s hands. “I’m not hungry.”

“That’s not going to work for me. You want to stop the Doctors? You need to keep up your strength, and that means you eat.” He pushed the plate towards Scott, who took it dutifully and without further protest. 

Scott ate slowly and with deliberation. He chewed robotically, as if he were counting each motion of his jaws. The dinner hadn’t been hard to make, but Theo couldn’t help but feel a little offended at the lack of enthusiasm.

 _If I’m going to be alpha_ , Theo told himself, echoing Scott’s words, _I’m going to have to care_.

Part of caring, Theo had started to realize, was patience. You couldn’t demand people let you care; you had to wait until they were ready for it. So, in the silence of the house, he waited for Scott to finish eating. It felt like hours, but Theo made himself sit there.

“So. That meeting didn’t go quite the way you wanted it, did it?” Theo asked quietly.

“There wasn’t any other way it could possibly have gone, Theo.” 

“You didn’t expect your mother to be there,” Theo pointed out, carefully. “You were pretty rough with her.”

“What should I have done? Pretended that everything is going to be okay?” 

Theo pursed his lips. “That’s kind of your thing, isn’t it? Optimism in the face of overwhelming odds?”

For a second, it looked as if Scott was actually going to punch him. One hand curled into a fist and the muscles in Scott’s back and arm tensed like a ready catapult. Theo decided in that instant to let Scott punch him if he went through with it. He’d heal, and it would make Scott feel bad. However, the blow never landed. Scott slowly backed away from violence and uncoiled himself; he had not yet completely changed.

“I _want_ to say that I said those things to my mom because I wanted her to get use to the idea that we couldn’t be a family anymore. That there was no way I’m going to be around her when you could use her against me, so it was better to cut the cords with a display of anger. That’s what I keep telling myself.” Scott took the plate and the cup, stood up, and walked over to the door. “But the truth is, I found that I wanted to hurt her, because I didn’t even have to lie when I was yelling at her. Everything I said was true.”

“Your mother loves you.” Theo stated. It was something that had been clear from the very start of his investigations.

“No, my mother loves a version of me that I can no longer be. She loves the hero.” Scott left the room, heading toward the kitchen. Theo followed him up. 

“Did you know, after she discovered I was a werewolf, she didn’t look me in the eyes for a week? When she finally showed up at the championship game, Gerard made a threat, saying ‘your mother, who so bravely came out to support you.’ But he was wrong: she didn’t come out to support me, she came out because of guilt. If she had been there to support me, she would have known that I wasn’t playing because of my grades. And when she figured out that things were happening, bad things, did she come to me and say ‘Come on, we’re going home!’ Nope. She said ‘If you can do something to help, then you do it.’” Scott stomped toward the kitchen.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Theo pointed out. It didn’t, not to him. It sounded like Scott’s mother believed in him.

“No, it’s not. The problem is that’s all I ever got from her, after that night. All I ever heard were lectures on how to better fulfill my responsibilities. When I lost my anchor because Allison fell in love with Isaac, she told me that I needed to get over it and to be my own anchor. When I stole money to keep us from losing the house, was she touched? No. Another lecture. I failed to save Lucas, and I get another lecture. After you murdered me, I got _another_ lecture.” Scott walked into the kitchen and threw the plate into the sink so hard it shattered. Tracy’s cry of protest sounded from the living room. “She never yelled at me, and if you took each individual speech, it would make you think that she’s a great mother.”

Theo studied him for a moment. He couldn’t comprehend this. It sounded perfect to him; a mother who supported what her son was and tried to help him be the best person he could be. 

“But it’s all I got! Other people got to be weak. You don’t see Natalie Martin riding Lydia into the ground about how much she owes other people, do you? You don’t see Sheriff Stilinski holding Stiles to an impossible standard of behavior? Do you know how many times Chris Argent tried to get Allison to skip school? Sure, my mom helped me become a True Alpha. Yay!” Scott started picking up the pieces of the broken plate from the sink. “You might think that she, of all the people in the world, would want me to think about myself, just once? That she might remember one goddamn simple fact.” Scott threw each part of the plate into the trash can as emphasis. “ _I. DIDN’T. WANT. THIS!_ ” 

Tracy appeared at the doorway and Theo gestured for her to back off.

“I didn’t want to be a werewolf! I didn’t want to be an alpha! I don’t want to be whatever the fuck it is that you turned me into! I wanted to be first line, and have a girlfriend, and to go to school and take care of sick animals.” Scott whirled on Theo and he had lost control once more. It took half a minute for him to calm down. “You know how this ends, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I don’t think you do.” Theo leaned up against the wall. “And right now, I think you’ll come to appreciate it.”

“Appreciate being your butt-monkey slave? Guess again.”

Theo shrugged. “Anger doesn’t change the facts. You lost. I won.”

“You asked me what was going on, and I told you,” Scott answered. He was cleaning the tiny shards of plate out of the sink. 

“I did. I get that.” Theo tilted his head to the side. “You really wanted what may have been your last conversation with your mother to be that one?”

Scott eyed him. “No, but I wanted it to be meaningful. It wouldn’t have been meaningful if she still thinks I’m okay with how she left me. If you pretend everything is all right in a conversation, and things aren’t, you can’t really talk about anything that’s real.”

Theo considered that. “Your choice. You were also pretty aggressive to the Sheriff. He’s not the cause of your present problem.”

“No. He likes to pretend that he’s the voice of justice, when there isn’t a law he wouldn’t break for Stiles. You know I wanted him to be my father, but all he did was put me on the same pedestal that my mom did.”

Theo smiled. “So, you’re jealous.”

“Damn straight, I’m jealous.” Scott glared back at him. “You know, after we stop the Doctors, we can’t stay here. They won’t stop trying to come for me.”

Theo blinked at that. Scott was doing that thing again. The ‘we’ that implied togetherness. “I’m aware.”

“Not because they cared enough in the first place, but because they’ll want to pretend that they’re good people. So, where are we going to go?” 

“I’m thinking Angola, once you get what we need from Deaton.”

Scott nodded. “Expect a trap when we go get it. There’s a lot of people who will do anything to stop you from getting what you want.”

“I know that, and I always expect a trap.” Theo laughed. “You’re not going to make me make you come with us then?” 

Scott scowled at him, but he didn’t answer.

###### 

Two more days passed. The city drowned in fear as the Beast killed three more people. Though the papers had described them as missing, everyone knew they were dead. Finally, Deaton let Theo know that Stiles had come up with a plan to get Lydia out of Eichen House. The chimeras and Scott would meet Stiles and Deaton himself soon after nightfall on the next day in Oak Creek.

Theo had never been to Oak Creek itself. Scott frowned when he told him; shades of regret passed over the alpha’s face. 

“Why there?” Theo demanded.

“Oak Creek has tunnels that lead between it and Eichen House. They were used by the nogitsune back in 1943. Maybe Stiles remembers them; maybe Stiles researched it.” Scott licked his lips. 

Theo refused to comment on Scott’s disquiet. He would pay close attention though.

The tunnels that connected the ruins of Oak Creek with Eichen House were narrow, grimy and cold. Infrequently, side tunnels led to rusted, padlocked gates. Even more rarely, the tunnels led to a dead end. All sounds echoed strangely in the tunnels. Scott’s face darkened as they moved along, occluded by old memories. Theo, Tracy and Josh were fascinated by the whole place, though only Theo knew what had happened here, both recently and in the days of the Second World War. 

The rendezvous occurred at the junction of three tunnels at the bottom of a cistern. You could see the sky through the top of the tower. The intersection was wide enough to accommodate a large group of people, and it was the last such place before reaching tunnels patrolled by Eichen House’s staff. They found Deaton, Mason and Stiles waiting for them there.

Scott’s face expanded in relief at the sight, even under the current situation. Dressed in dark clothing, Deaton nodded to his alpha in a way both enigmatic and encouraging. Stiles looked at any place other than the group of them, and Scott repaid him the favor. Mason fidgeted nervously; he hadn’t been on a mission like this before, but Stiles tapped him on the back reassuringly. 

“I’m surprised,” Theo said in way of greeting, “that these were all the people you brought. No one else was interested?”

Scott sighed. “There isn’t anyone else who could go through the mountain ash or be recognized by the staff. Poking at people isn’t helping, Theo.”

“But that’s what he does! He doesn’t have to pretend anymore,” spat Stiles. “I’d thought even _you’d_ figure that out by now. Helpful Theo only exists when it benefits him.”

Stepping forward, Scott cut the conversation short before it could degrade into more bickering. “Before we go, there’s something I have to talk to you about, Doc. I need to know whether a certain ritual exists, and if you would perform it for me.”

Deaton became instantly defensive; he crossed his arms and gave Theo something that in another person would be suspicious look but in him looked like a full-bore glare. “I would be willing to offer my advice to my alpha, but only to my alpha. Our discussion would have to be private.”

Scott turned to look at Theo for permission, and as a gesture of that nature always did, it sent a warm thrill through Theo’s heart. He nodded his assent and then smirked at Stiles, which sent the other teen into a visible, barely contained rage. 

Mason backed away at the strange scene going on and backed straight into Josh. “Oh, sorry.” Josh gave him a no-problem shrug. 

Scott and Deaton walked off together down one of the hallways. When they were a good sixty yards away, but still in sight of the rest them, the veterinarian tossed a circle of mountain ash around them. Theo, who had been listening for their voices and to their heartbeats, heard those sounds immediately silenced. He had been warned that druids could perform small magical tricks such as this, so Theo wasn’t too worried. After the events of the last couple of days, he felt confident in taking a risk such as this. Besides, he had other work to do.

“Want to know what they’re talking about?” Theo asked Stiles. Tracy was stalking around the other entrances, keeping an eye out; it was her way of preparing for what was going to happen. Josh and Mason were standing next to each other, but they weren’t being antagonistic with each other.

Stiles eyed Theo. The fingers of his left hand were tapping on the crowbar he held in his right. Stiles didn’t try to deny his plainly-seen curiosity, but he wouldn’t do anything to encourage it either. 

Theo tried to phrase it in just the right way to hit every single one of Stiles’ buttons. “Scott’s asking Deaton if there’s a way to transfer the alpha power from him to me. That was the deal.”

“Deal?” Stiles’ eyes narrowed. Theo heard his heartbeat begin to quicken.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s not a deal like our deal. Scott’s going to give me his alpha spark in return for me letting him stop the Beast and the Doctors.” Theo raised both eyebrows. “I guess you were right after all. He’s still your alpha but not for long.”

Stiles ground his teeth. “You don’t have it yet, jackass. I, for one, am hoping your masters or their new pet rips you in two.”

“Unlikely.” Theo understood the risk he was taking moving against them now, but he also had the beginnings of a really, really good plan. “What you need is to understand that I’m winning, but that doesn’t have to mean there are bad things in store for you.”

“What you need is this crowbar upside your head!” Stiles hissed.

“You’ve noticed it, haven’t you?” Theo continued on as if Stiles hadn’t threatened him. “Every day he’s a little less him and a little more me. It’s a pity in some ways, but that’s not going to stop.”

“You could stop it.” Stiles replied nastily. “I could stop it.”

“Yes, but I won’t stop it, and you won’t stop it with a crow bar.” Theo kept his face as smug smirk, but he did see the truth in his words. Someone wanting to save Scott could come straight for him. Killing him would stop the transformation, as he had told Scott, and there were too many people who might be willing to break with Scott’s ideology. “There is a way you can help.”

Stiles eyed him suspiciously. “How?”

“I didn’t lie to you. I still want you in my pack. Of everyone in Beacon Hills who may have wanted to save Scott or to stop me, you were the only one who actually _did_ something.” Theo made the compliment as sincere as he could. “Scott wouldn’t be all alone if you were there.”

Stiles jaw dropped. “You’re still on that? You still think I’m going to join your team?”

“I don’t take rejection well.” 

“Why do you want me? If you didn’t notice, my brilliant plan got three people killed.” Stiles’ voice was bitter. Theo suppressed a sigh; if he could get Stiles to join him, he was going to have to do something about that self-esteem problem.

“Did you really think that?” Theo tsked. “That’s like blaming me because I ordered Scott to free me, when I didn’t realize the command would make him focus on that to the exclusion of all else. It’s like blaming Scott because I gave him an order to free me. This is the real world; you can’t predict every outcome and you can’t let yourself feel guilty about the outcomes you couldn’t predict.”

“You don’t feel guilty about anything.” Stiles went low, as he always did.

“I’m trying to help you here, Stiles.” Theo could give as well as he got. “The only thing you should feel guilty about is betraying Scott to me.” 

If he had been a werewolf, the snarl Stiles pointed in his direction would have been praiseworthy. Yet Stiles didn’t deny it.

“You act so high and mighty, as if I’m the only villain here, but all you had to do was tell Scott. I even told you to tell him.”

Stiles glances over at Mason and the other chimeras. “I couldn’t.” It had the timbre of something the teen had wrestled with for days.

“Your best friend, who put up with your sarcasm and your mommy-angst for years, who fought everyone to save your life when you were possessed, who never treated you a bit differently after a demon with your face tortured him with a sword and killed his first love? You couldn’t tell him?” Theo rolled his tongue over his teeth. “No, Stiles, you _wouldn’t_ , even though you knew you should have. If you had told him the truth, if you had told him about me and Josh, there is no way he would be in this position right now. You may have convinced the world that it was Scott’s fault because he didn’t believe you, but _you and I_ know different.” 

Theo took a sauntering step towards Stiles. His words were having an effect; he could see it in the tension along Stiles’ shoulders. All Theo had to do was get Stiles to start believing that this was his nature; all Theo had to do was get Stiles to start believing that he owed it to Scott. 

“Because you’re exactly like me. You wanted to control Scott -- how he thought, how he reacted -- so you manipulated him by concealing the truth. You could have stopped me at any time, but you didn’t have enough faith in your best friend; you wouldn’t risk him doing something you didn’t want him to do.” Theo chuckled. “There’s only one difference between us, Stiles: _I didn’t fail_.”

Stiles swung his arm back to deliver a savage blow with the crowbar, only to find the arm caught by Tracy. She frowned at the whole scene. “Not smart, Theo, picking a fight with the people we need to get this done.”

“You’re right.” Theo smirked. “I was simply making a point. He’s not better than we are. He belongs with us.” 

It got better for Theo. Scott must have seen Stiles draw back his arm, because Deaton had broken the circle and Scott was rushing back. Theo shrugged and Stiles fumed as the alpha came to a stop in front of them. Scott went over to stand in front of Stiles; his eyes were sad. “And you wondered why I believed him.” 

Stiles looked for a second like he was going to throw up. Theo had to bite his tongue to keep from chuckling. 

Scott turned away. “Doc, are you sure you won’t do it?”

“Scott, I have chosen very carefully the ethical lines I will not cross. What you are asking me to do, I will not do it.” Deaton replied gravely. 

“But if I asked you, you could tell someone else how to do it, as my Emissary?” Scott stressed. 

Deaton hesitated. He wanted to say no. He wanted to refuse. A marble statue could tell that the veterinarian wanted to refuse. “Yes. It’s within your rights as alpha.” 

“Okay.” Scott turned to Theo. “Sooner you get this done, the sooner you might get what you want.” 

Theo smiled and winked back at him. “Alright. Time to move out!”

###### 

Theo was still limping when they approached the original rendezvous point. The muscle had almost completely grown back by now, but the pain still hung his mind. He didn’t like feeling pain, and there wasn’t much pain as compared to when that motherfucker had pushed a trepanation drill into his calf. He would have killed Valack on his own if one of Lydia’s out-of-control screams had not blown half his head off. 

Theo looked back to where Scott was carrying the weakened Banshee. At first, Stiles had insisted on trying to carry her out, but he had not been strong enough to go the full distance, and he had let Mason help. Deaton was constantly checking her over; making sure that the mistletoe he _had shoved into her head_ was keeping her powers in check. Mason was excited.

“Well, remind me never to visit Eichen House again.” Theo complained. While Scott had been left behind, blocked by mountain ash framework that left him, Tracy, Josh, and a surprisingly effective Deaton to handle the guards. “I can’t believe that place is a medical establishment.”

“Eichen House has a very long and very troubled history,” Deaton offered from where he was watching Lydia. “It was built as a fortress to contain the darkness. That comes with a price.”

Tracy made a face. “I’ll take anti-depressants any day over that.”

“Well, I think we’re all glad to be out of there.” Theo had meant to snatch up the old, spare Doctor’s Mask that Valack had been keeping around, but he couldn’t get to it without the three non-chimera’s seeing him. He might go back for it, if Lydia didn’t pan out as a source of information. 

Scott stopped before he ventured underneath the great domed ceiling created by the cistern. “Where should we take Lydia?”

“For the time being, I would suggest your house.” Deaton advised. “I need to be in a place where I can watch over her, and I would appreciate your mother being available to back me up on the medical angle.”

“Stiles can ask her. I don’t think she’ll say no.” Scott still wasn’t ready to talk to his mother. 

Theo frowned as a thought occurred to him; their prize was leaving his control. “You’re not going to try to cut us out of the information, are you?” 

Deaton did not look offended. “I think you know us better than that. We’re here to save lives.” 

“You won’t.” Lydia suddenly stirred in Scott’s arms, her eyes snapping open. Stiles immediately sprang to her side and took her hand.

“You shouldn’t talk right now, Lydia,” Scott urged. “You should rest.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m sorry, I can’t.” Lydia repeated. “I’m so sorry, Scott.” Her eyes filled with tears. 

Theo leaned forward. What did she hear? Theo suddenly realized that this is a power he wouldn’t want. He wouldn’t ever want. To know when the ultimate defeat approaches.

Stiles gripped her hand tightly. “Don’t be sorry, Lydia. You’re not responsible for this.” He glared at Theo for a lightning second. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“No,” Lydia’s voice was quiet and sepulchral. “But you will.” 

Then she opened her mouth and screamed.


	15. The Wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and his allies get ambushed in the tunnels below Oak Creek. Sometimes, the darkness fails just as much as the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Major Character Death, Extreme Violence, Gore, and Shakespeare in this chapter.

Lydia’s scream vanished into the silence of the tunnels. Scott immediately bent over her, looking to see if she was okay, while Deaton joined him. The effort had made her fall unconscious once more. 

“What does that mean?” Josh asked, wide-eyed. The lightning chimera must have realized by people’s reactions that it wasn’t just a scream. Theo recalled he hadn’t briefed Josh on what the other supernaturals he could encounter would be. That was an oversight that needed to be fixed, but something was else was bothering Theo, and he couldn’t quite place what it was. 

Theo sighed in irritation. The truth was going to freak Josh out, but if they were working together, everyone should know exactly what that meant. “Well, Lydia’s a banshee …” 

“Somethings … wrong.” Tracy tilted her head to the side as she interrupted him. 

Mason stepped forward, squinting and tilting his head. “You’re right. We’re in an underground tunnel. Shouldn’t there have been more of an echo?”

Stiles had been fretting over Lydia, his hand never leaving hers, when suddenly his head snapped around at Mason’s words. “No echo? It echoed back then …” Stiles’ face drifted off as he put the facts together. “Get down! It’s an ambush!”

The scream hadn’t been that much of a warning at all, but it was enough to make a significant difference in the outcome. Theo didn’t know what would have happened if he wasn’t already in motion when the flash grenades clattered to the floor in front of him. The light and noise were bad enough for a chimera like him, but it had to be twice as bad for Scott. A real alpha werewolf had instincts, and those instincts commanded them to employ all their senses when faced with danger, so Scott’s senses were exposed to all three of the grenades with little filter. 

That didn’t mean that the detonations could be easily brushed off by the humans and the chimeras. Especially, since all three were concentrated in one spot. As intended, everyone was severely disoriented and unsteady on their feet. Mason fell completely over, lying flat on the ground. Stiles went down on one knee. Theo and Josh grabbed on to each other to keep standing. Theo had no idea how Scott kept his feet, while still holding Lydia. 

An ambush meant that they had to keep moving, because they knew an attack was coming, so some of them, at least, would have a chance to dodge when the firing began. So when the six bolts sped out of the dark, none of them were immediately fatal.

Theo felt himself getting hit; it was like someone had punched him in the chest. When he looked down, it was so weird to see the shaft protruding from him, sneaking in between ribs on his left side. He stared at it in surprise. If he hadn’t moved at Stiles’ warning, it would have sunk directly into his heart. Theo took a breath to start giving orders, but he found it much harder than it used to be. He couldn’t breathe well, but he wasn’t sure if it was from panic or the damage.

Somehow, Scott could still focus on what was happening enough, ever after the grenades, to turn at the sound of the crossbows and fall on top of Lydia, sheltering her with his own body. He had still been hit with two bolts; one buried itself near the alpha’s kidney and one had went all the way through his right thigh. Scott had had to do it; if Lydia had been hit in her present condition, she would have died immediately from the shock.

Tracy had been fast; she was picking up skill at a truly terrifying rate. At Stiles’ shout, she had immediately shifted into full kanima form, and while that hadn’t protected her completely from the grenades, the arrow sent her way bounced off her skin as if it had struck a brick wall. She was immediately at Theo’s side, her tail lashing dangerously.

Josh and Dr. Deaton weren’t so lucky. Josh had been hit by a bolt in the side of his throat. It tore its way through, and it spun him around like a rag doll. He was thrashing on the ground, in shock or pain, Theo couldn’t tell. Dr. Deaton, on the other hand, had taken a bolt in the stomach. It was almost comical; it had knocked him on his ass as if someone had just pushed him down. 

Mason and Stiles hadn’t been targeted. Mason was wide-eyed at the violence; he hadn’t been in as much fights as the others have, and the sight of his friends and reluctant allies sprouting bolts stunned him. Stiles had seen much more violence. He screamed Scott’s and Lydia’s name as he scrambled over to them. 

Theo felt the panicked queasiness of the day at the police station rise in his gut, but he forced it down. He was going to be alpha, so he needed to act like it, and alphas didn’t leave their pack without guidance. He tried to shout a command but it came out as a wheeze. “Tracy.” He could feel blood filling his lung. “Tracy. Retreat.” It sounded like a whisper to his own ears. 

From each other two tunnels, figures approach, wary and ready for violence. They must have arrived after they had rendezvoused. Theo could easily make them out now; each had a loaded crossbow with a flashlight. They swept each tunnel with that light as well as the ceiling, knowledgeable and careful. They were Hunters, and they weren’t amateurs. They were older and seasoned; they were the elite. 

“Vengeance is in my heart, death is in my hand.” A voice now echoed in the darkness. Gerard Argent savored the quote as he moved to a place where everyone could see him. “Blood and revenge hammer at my head.” 

Theo grabbed the arrow in his chest. He had to get it out, because he couldn’t fight with these people if he had to fight to breathe. Pain shot through him. 

“If you don’t stop trying to pull that bolt out,” the elder Argent warned, “I’ll have them put two more in you. That goes for any of you.” The old man studied his victims. “One got away. Be ready.” 

Theo sank to his knees; he didn’t think he could dodge a hunter until he could get the bolt out of him. He glanced around to see that Tracy had followed his orders. Josh was still moaning on the ground, while Scott and Stiles hovered over Lydia, pale and silent and unconscious. Mason was with Deaton, panicking over the bleeding druid. 

Scott glared at the old man. He began to stand, bolts or no bolts, though it must have caused terrific pain, especially the one tearing its way through his thigh. “What do you want?”

Gerard didn’t answer immediately. He instructed three of his hunters to watch the tunnels, another one to put a bolt into any of their captives who made a sudden move, and the last two to draw their Tasers. It was little relief to Theo that he obviously planned on taking captives. “That abomination is around here somewhere. Her claws and tail can paralyze.” Gerard raised his voice so Tracy, if she was nearby, could hear it. “If she knows what's best for her, she’ll run, or I’ll have them put a bolt right in her Master’s face. I’ve taken one kanima over that way; why not try for two?”

Stiles was cradling Lydia’s head as he glanced around in panicked thought. He was trying to see a solution, trying to find a way out. “You used active noise cancellation to hide your heartbeats.”

“Of course, Mr. Stilinski. You were always too clever for your own good. She tried to warn you with her scream; the machines would try to cancel her scream as well.” Gerard observed. “She’ll outlive you all.”

Scott winced at those words, but he still looked Gerard in the eye. “You can let the wounded go. You want me, don’t you? That’s what you want.”

“What I want, Scott,” Gerard sneered, “is a great many things. But you’re right, one of the things I want most is you. _Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent_. Finally, monster, you’ve taken the life of an innocent; you’re fair game.”

“That wasn’t him! He didn’t have a choice!” Stiles cried. He fell silent as the echoing meaning of his words came back to him.

“Indeed I know that this vicious science project controls the noble True Alpha now.” Gerard chuckled. “It makes no difference to the Code.” Gerard turned and drew a large revolver from its holster. “The innocents are just as dead, whether there was a choice or not.”

“You never gave a damn about the Code.” Scott ignored the bolts trained on him as he growled and flashed his eyes. “You’re just a sick old man, even if your cancer is gone.”

Theo decided to remain quiet; let Scott and Stiles bait the old bastard. He drew close to Josh, who was holding his neck together with his hands. Theo hoped Josh had enough charge to heal; strangely enough, there wasn’t as much as blood as there should have been from the neck wound, which was a good sign. Josh insides were slightly different than others. Theo wouldn’t speak and risk drawing the hunters’ attention, but he put his hand on Josh’s arm like he had seen the members of Scott’s pack do. With his free hand, Josh grabbed his arm. Theo could see the panic in the junior’s eyes subside a little. 

“Not the best words for someone who now holds your life in his hands.” Gerard observed, dryly.

“There are people here who need medical attention,” Scott stated with a desperate edge to his voice. Theo looked up to see the alpha watching him instead of Gerard, watching him take Josh’s arm in comfort. “I promise that I won’t fight you if you get them what they need.”

“Your bargaining position is a little thin, Scott.” Gerard announced. “How about I offer a counter proposal?”

Gerard casually shot Josh Diaz point-blank in the chest. 

Theo had still had a grip on Josh’s arm as the body jerked in response to the gunshot. This wasn’t like when he had torn out Josh’s throat on the hospital roof. Josh had been feral and aggressive, and that had made killing him easy. Even though Theo could have easily stopped the other chimera during that fight, there was still an element of danger. Josh had been the only person other than Tara and Scott had he had killed. Theo had been looking down into Josh’s terrified eyes, a person’s eyes. Theo could barely speak with the bolt in his chest, but he had been trying to think of something to say, some clever words to make it better. Then the pistol roared, the body thrashed and Josh’s eyes closed.

Theo’s mind spun in denial. This wasn’t what he wanted. Josh was his -- _his_ pack. He was going to be the alpha. He could hear the other boy’s heartbeat stutter like a car refusing to start on a cold morning.

A cry was ripped out of Scott’s throat. It wasn’t articulate; it was horror. Stiles shielded Lydia’s eyes, but it would have been foolish even if she had been conscious. She must have known for whom she screamed. Mason was crying, but Deaton’s face held grim resolve, though the druid wasn’t looking so good himself.

 _I’m going to be alpha_ , Theo thought to himself. _That means I care about my pack_. Theo didn’t know enough medicine or first aid or chimera physiology to save Josh’s rapidly fading life. Theo knew how to kill. He knew how to lie. He knew how to … manipulate.

Theo looked up at the hunter standing next to him, Taser at the ready. As loud as he could make it with his blood-filled lung, he spoke to him. “Do you have a daughter? Maybe we’ll have some fun before I kill her.” The hunter brought the Taser down on Theo as Theo put both hands on Josh. He hoped a few volts short of a light saber might be enough to give Josh the power he needed to survive. Maybe it would make the spasming pain worth it.

Theo must have lost consciousness for a moment; when he came to, the first thing he did was cough up bloody foam from his lungs. But the second thing was hear Josh’s heartbeat, weak and thready, but still there.

“I’ve moved on from _Romeo and Juliet_ , Scott.” Gerard snickered. “I’m in more of a _Titus Andronicus_ mood these days.”

“This isn’t a joke!” Scott roared back at him. 

Gerard raised his gun to point it at Scott’s face. “Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things, As willing as one would kill a fly; And nothing grieves me heartily indeed, But that I cannot do ten thousand more.” 

Scott didn’t flinch at the barrel of the gun; in fact, he leaned slightly towards Gerard. Theo wondered if Scott had returned to the point where he would welcome the shot. 

Gerard shook his head. “No, no. The boy who kept me trapped in my own filth for eighteen months won’t get a clean death. I know you’re in a personal hell of your own right now, aren’t you, boy? I’m going to do my best to make it worse.” He gestured at Lydia. “Pick her up, Scott. She’s key to defeating the Doctors and the Beast, and I want that key in my pocket.” Gerard glanced at Theo like he was manure on the bottom of his shoe. “You, young Master Hewitt, will help this freak of science walk with us.” 

Mason looked like he was going to protest, but Deaton spoke quietly and painfully. “Do what he says. Don’t underestimate what Gerard will do if he feels he has the upper hand.”

Gerard must have sharp ears or he kept one on the veterinarian. “No, you really shouldn’t underestimate me. I learned my lesson after I underestimated all of you.” 

Stiles, fearfully, had helped the wounded Scott pick up Lydia. Their eyes met once; shame and terror warred between them. Scott was still strong enough to carry her, even with his the bolts still in him. Mason crept forward and tried to help Theo stand.

Theo was still staring at Josh. It shouldn’t have bothered him, not enough to risk his life. He’d killed Josh before, as a tactic. But he didn’t want to leave. 

“We have to go, Theo. He’s insane.” Mason whispered to him. Reluctantly, Theo let the human help him stand.

“I can’t …” Stiles turned to Gerard, pleadingly. “I can’t carry Dr. Deaton by myself.” 

Gerard walked carefully out of range of Theo and Scott’s claws, circling back to where the druid lay. “Of course not. As usual, Mr. Stilinski, you’re nearly useless. I don’t know why your alpha kept a liability like you around in the first place; I certainly don’t have any use for you now. You couldn’t even deliver a message. You’d have to be possessed to be a real threat.” 

Stiles opened his mouth to snark back but Scott caught his eye and shook his head. Theo understood. Gerard was looking for revenge; shooting Stiles in front of Scott would be just one more piece of it. Stiles gritted his teeth with suppressed anger as he had to stand and watch a human monster kidnap his best friend and the object of his affection, leaving him behind. Gerard had read his victims perfectly; this nightmare had visited Stiles many times before.

“Alan,” Gerard’s voice took on a weird tension. It was filled with an undirected menace. “I have a question for you. It may have been Scott’s idea to poison me, but he couldn’t have handled the mountain ash alone. Who helped him?”

Deaton paused as he sat, keeping too much blood from pouring out around the bolt with his fingers. He carefully weighed his words. He knew exactly what they would mean. “I did.”

The gun roared out once more. Theo looked back. At least he hadn’t shot the druid in the face, but it had to be a fatal wound. Scott’s staggered as if he had been shot, but he dared not drop Lydia. Immediately, Gerard pointed the gun at Mason. “I have more targets, Scott. Now, start walking.”

Theo staggered, bloody and weary, down the tunnels of Oak Creek, once more the scene of atrocity. He couldn’t have done much, but he could walk with Mason’s help. Next to him, Scott walked with an unconscious Lydia in his arms, stumbling around like Frankenstein’s monster in an old movie. Theo looked behind him to those left behind.

Stiles had been trying to staunch the flow of blood at the doctor’s chest with his bare hands, but, through some unknown reserve of strength, Deaton had grabbed the teen by the shirt collar and pulled himself up to a sitting position. Deaton’s whispered fierce words at Stiles, his eyes glinting in the darkness with some sort of reflected light, though Theo couldn’t make them out. He could hear Deaton’s own heart beating slower and slower, while Stiles heart began to increase its rate in equal proportion. Theo burned to know what secrets were being shared, but he couldn’t understand the words. 

The first chimera focused his hearing on Josh, just to make sure he was okay. He shook his head, for suddenly he heard another heartbeat. Corey was there, unnoticed and unacknowledged. He must have been there the whole time. How? Corey bent down to see to Josh. 

As the veterinarian’s heartbeat slowed to their stop, he could hear Scott let out a strangled sob. The alpha hadn’t looked back, but he knew that he was about to lose something else in the shadow-filled tunnels of Oak Creek. Theo strained and strained, but he caught only the last echoing words before Deaton’s heart stopped and the man fell back down to the floor of the tunnels.

“You have to believe it.”

###### 

“This is going to hurt, but I have to get it out.” Scott’s voice brought Theo’s back to consciousness. He wasn’t sure when he had lost consciousness. For a moment, he thought he was back getting the shotgun pellets removed. When Theo looked up into Scott’s face, he saw determination. “Mason, hold him.” 

“I’m not sure what I can do …” Mason had begun. “You guys are super strong.”

“It’s not a measure of strength, it’s a matter of leverage.” Scott supplied helpfully. “Stiles held … humans can hold down a werewolf if they’re in the right position.”

“What?” Theo still couldn’t speak more. “What’s happening?”

“I need to get the bolt out of you, Theo. You can heal, but the constant flow of blood in your lung is putting pressure on the rest of your body.” Scott said calmingly. Theo became aware of hands on his shoulders pressing him down. Suddenly, there was a pressure on his chest that he had never felt before. He couldn’t draw a breath at all. He was suffocating. He tried to move to release that pressure, but he couldn’t. He kicked with his legs but hit nothing.

“Almost out,” Scott offered encouragingly, even as he pressed on the crossbow bolt. Theo’s hands spasmed involuntarily and his vision swam with spots. He was almost dead! Scott was killing him. Theo fought down the panic. No, that wasn’t right. If Scott had wanted to kill him, he wouldn’t have let him wake up.

Suddenly the pressure stopped and it was like an iron band across his ribs had been released. He stopped struggling and he drew breath — his lung hurt like fire, but he could now breathe. He could finally breathe. 

“Mason, put this on his back.” Scott had taken off his shirt and tore it up. 

Theo thought about struggling to sit up, since he realized he was lying on his side, but he was exhausted and aching. He’d heal, but it would take time, so he just lay there.

Scott had one hand pressed over the hole in Theo’s chest, keeping the pressure on stopping and the blood from oozing out. “The bolts were barbed. It was better to push it through than try to tear it out.” He said this in way of explanation. “I tore my back pretty badly when I pulled it out. It’s almost healed now though.”

Theo nodded. He was already feeling better now that the bolt was out. He saw electric lights above him, and he felt a metal bench under his back. “Where are we?”

“The Argents have a secret bunker in the tunnels beneath Beacon Hills,” Mason explained. He sounded only moderately impressed. “It looks like we’re in a holding cell.”

“The doors are too well secured for me to break out. They have cameras watching us, but they’re behind grates.” Scott pointed them out on the ceiling. Everything was in security cages to prevent manipulation. 

“Wonderful.”

Scott limped over to another bench so he could sit down. It looked like he still had some healing to do. The three of them don’t talk for a bit. 

Theo suddenly became more aware of that number. “Where’s Lydia?”

“Gerard has her somewhere else. Don’t worry, I don’t think he’s going to hurt her.” Scott sounded more confident than Theo felt.

Theo growled about it. He hated losing. “He’d better not, or everything we did will have been for nothing.” He managed to put himself up before he realized what he had said. Grimacing, Theo looked over at where the alpha was sitting. “Uhm. I’m … I’m sorry about …”

Scott pretended that he hadn’t heard him. “We need to be at our best before he gets down to whatever torture he has planned.” The alpha looked over at a table, where there was an array of food and water. Slowly, he got up and limped over. “It seems that he wants it to last a while.” 

“Torture?” Mason questioned, not a little intimidated. Scott tossed him a sandwich and then a bottle of water.

“He’s not going to torture you, human,” Theo said wearily. “You’re here to make Scott behave.”

Mason looked insulted. “And why are you here?”

Scott answered that before Theo could think of something particularly sarcastic. “He wants to figure out how Theo can control me. Most likely so he could control me like he controlled Jackson. He’d get his jollies out of it, and he’d have an alpha werewolf at his command. Gerard wouldn’t pass an opportunity up to humiliate me.” 

Theo looked around. “I guess that’s it for me, once he figures out …” Theo yelled at his captors. “He can’t do it!” 

Mason went bug-eyed. “Do you want him to kill you?”

Theo shrugged at Mason. Now since the bolt was out, he didn’t much care who heard him. “Keeping me alive is going to be a serious mistake for that old bastard. He should have killed us when he had the chance. I won’t make your mistake, Scott, of allowing him to live. Why did you do that? You let a poisoned psychopath run free. I — or you if I make you — are going to pull his ulcer-ridden stomach out through his nose.” 

“He was harmless.” Scott argued. “He was bleeding black gunk. I thought he was as good as dead, and then later, he was housed in some low-rent retirement home.”

With a snort, Theo dismissed it. “How harmless does he look now?” 

“I’m not an executioner.” Scott said with conviction.

Theo was angry and hurt. “Well, you will be! I’m going to make you kill him with your bare hands. You should be glad I’m making you do it, too! You have to stop people who come at you like that. If you had killed him …” Theo trailed off. He didn’t want to go that far.

Mason looked anywhere but at the pair of them. 

Scott and Theo locked eyes. Theo had almost openly blamed Scott for Deaton’s death. Well, Theo actually did blame Scott for Deaton’s death. The only reason he was dead was because Gerard was still alive. But why say it out loud? Scott had to be thinking that to himself. 

Scott finally said, as if he were discussing lacrosse practice. “I saw what you did for Josh.”

Theo looked away. “I got him shot. I nearly got him killed.”

“You provoked that hunter so he’d hit you with the Taser. You did it so Josh could heal.” Scott said gently. “You don’t have to pretend you didn’t.”

Theo refused to look at Scott but found himself looking at Mason. Mason was staring at him like he was some strange new alien plant. Theo instead looked at the ground. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means more than you think. Eat up.” Scott tossed him some food. “I mean it. We’re going to need our strength.”


	16. The Secrets That We Keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captured by Gerard Argent, Theo admits more than he should, Mason plots his way out, and Gerard tells an old story that means something different for each of his prisoners.

Across the relatively well-lit cell, Mason fidgeted. The newest member of Scott’s pack hadn’t gotten used to being a captive. Theo chuckled to himself. It was a talent you needed to learn if you wanted to be involved in the supernatural world. There were few players, except the most fanatic of hunters, who outright wanted to kill all supernaturals or those who were supernatural-adjacent. Rarity demanded deliberation.

Scott, who’d been captured more than once, had found a spot on the floor and was napping fitfully. The holding cell wasn’t designed to be comfortable, and that wasn’t an accident. Exhausted prisoners were easier to handle. Scott need that nap, because though he had said he was fully healed, he had not been entirely truthful. Without a shirt, Theo could see Scott’s back when he tossed in his sleep, and Theo could clearly see the chunk of flesh that had been ripped out with the barbed bolt when it had been removed.

The cell was well made, as Theo had discovered through investigation. The multiple lights were protected by security cages. The multiple cameras were located on the high roof and also in security cages. Theo had studied them long enough to determine that they did indeed have microphones. He’d learned a little about surveillance equipment for certain tasks that the Doctors had put on him. Their conversations and movements could be recorded or watched live. The ventilation shaft was covered by a very heavy grate.

Theo about reassuring Mason that help was on the way, but he decided that would just be tipping his hand. He certainly wasn’t going to tell Mason that he expected Tracy to make a move eventually. Theo knew she could sense him as he could feel her presence. If there was a way to rescue them, she’d figure it out. She might even be willing to work with Stiles and his allies. 

There was no need to let Gerard know about any of that. 

Theo began to pace. He needed to think about his next move. While he could sit there and wait to be rescued, this wasn’t something with which he was comfortable. He had to remember what he knew about Gerard Argent. He had to think of his weaknesses, his desires, all the things that could be used against the old murderer.

“Why’d you do it?” 

Theo stopped and looked at Mason. “Why did I do what?”

Mason mouthed something to him. The human was holding his head in a way that none of the cameras could catch it. He had worked out the angles. Theo stared at him until Mason mouthed the words again: _Distract them_.

Mason then spoke out loud, while one hand crept down his side, toward his sneakers. “Everything. Join up with the Doctors. Infiltrate Scott’s pack. Kidnap him and turn him into one of you. You had to have a reason.” Mason seemed genuinely curious even as he hoped it would distract their captors.

“I thought you were an expert on sin?” Theo remembered their discussion in the library. He forced his eyes from lingering on what Mason was doing for too long.

“I said that I knew what it was, and I still believe that. I know you want power. You want a _lot_ of power. It’s greed, but I don’t know what reason _you_ give yourself when you look at yourself in the mirror.” Mason looked at the door pointedly, as if Theo wasn’t aware. One of the human’s hands started digging into the cuff of his jeans. “You can tell me. I doubt that I can really use it against you or those hunters out there would want to use it against you.”

“I don’t know.” Theo suddenly felt helpless at his inability to answer; not his favorite emotion. It made him irritable. “I just wanted it.” 

Mason shook his head. “Someone doesn’t decide that he is going to join people who look and act like the Dread Doctors without knowing why. There has to be more than that.”

Theo thought about it, as he paced. Mason was right. He had nothing to lose talking to the human like this, and if he became emotional it would be an efficient distraction for their captors. Most likely, Mason wasn’t going to survive the coming battle that would accompany any escape attempt. Mason was smart, but he wasn’t a fighter. He was a thinker, but he was also loyal to his friends. That was a recipe for an early death.

“I was … different than the other kids. I was aware that I didn’t think the way they did. I didn’t feel the way they did. I didn’t react to things the way they did. If they saw someone they liked get hurt, they were horrified. I was curious. But I was also scared though. I was scared that if they found out that I was so different inside, they wouldn’t like me. They would ignore me,” Theo spoke to the wall rather than do more than glance at Mason. Mason had pulled what seemed to be a vial from his cuff.

Theo chuckled. “I told Scott and Stiles a story about Scott helping me with an asthma attack when I was younger. I didn’t make that up; every word I said was true. What I didn’t share was that Scott fascinated me back then. He was …” 

“He was Scott.” Mason supplied.

“Yeah. I guess that was true. He was willing to talk to this kid having an asthma attack, and I couldn’t help but think that he knew I was weird then and … he seemed to like me anyway. When I heard about him being a True Alpha, I was amazed but … I guess I didn’t like it.”

Mason’s eyebrows crawled up to his hairline. He got up and stood beneath the out-going ventilation shaft. 

“You see, the Doctors … they told me that I was different from everyone else, but that was okay. Not only that it was okay, but it was important to be different than everyone else. I was going to be special; I was going to be powerful. And when I became powerful, I wouldn’t have to worry about people not liking me or people ignoring me. No one could ignore me.” 

“So you killed your sister.” The human was fascinated. 

Theo turned around at that. “Yes and no. The Doctors told me about the genetic requirement in order to become one of their experiments. I didn’t fit the criteria, but I was smart for a ten-year-old. I knew what a transplant was. So, when I found Tara, with a broken leg and laying in a stream, I did … nothing.” 

“You watched her die so they could transplant her heart into you? Wow.” Mason shook his head. 

“See!” Theo said. “That’s the exact reaction I was always afraid of, while I was growing up. But with Tara dead, I had a way to get power. I didn’t push her, no matter what Stiles thinks. I just … chose to do nothing.” 

“Did it work?” Mason asked suddenly. He looked up as is measuring the distance between him and the ventilation shaft.

“What? Of course the surgery worked.” Theo over-dramatically threw his arms out. 

“No, I meant, Theo, did it work? Once you got power, were you no longer afraid?” 

Theo bit his lips. “I was a lot less afraid.”

Mason nodded. “But you still were afraid. So that’s it. That’s why being the First Chimera isn’t enough. You have to be a real werewolf. You have to be alpha. You have to have all the power you can grab, because you think if you get enough power, you won’t be afraid anymore. That doesn’t tell me why you didn’t like Scott being a True Alpha.”

“He doesn’t … people like him shouldn’t have power.”

“Why, because they didn’t have to screw everyone over to get it?” 

“Maybe …” Theo felt combative. “Or maybe because power like that makes people like him miserable. Do you know for such a good person, Scott’s been torn apart pretty thoroughly. You should read his history some time; I had to. Wounds, torture, extortion, corpses, battles — he’s seen it all. His experiences make military combat veterans look like they were attending Sunday-school camp, and he’s not even of legal age to drink. I don’t really know why he hasn’t ran away or locked himself in his room and refused to come out. I’m betting now he wish he had. People like him are nothing more than first targets.”

Mason unscrewed the lid and with one jump, put it in the ventilation shaft. “The Doctors?”

“Yeah. They knew that he and his pack would start looking into things the moment the experiments began, so they ordered me to disrupt him and his pack. Keep them from interfering. He doomed himself; if he had thought of himself just once, this would never have happened.” 

The scent from the vial hit him. Theo had to exert every ounce of willpower not flinch from it. It was so potent. However, it didn’t seem to bother Mason at all. It was enough to wake Scott from his sleep, even after their conversation hadn’t. 

Scott sat up. “What’s that …” Theo immediately shut that down. If it was a scent that werewolves could detect that humans, couldn’t it would lead Liam straight here, which is what they needed. He couldn’t give the hunters the slightest clue.

Mason was witnessing his control for the first time. He studied it with a mixture of curiosity and repulsion. He looked from Scott to Theo. Theo shrugged. 

“You know, I’m thinking that it’s a different type of people that shouldn’t have power,” Mason said. Then he sat down and crossed his arms.

###### 

Scott, returned to himself after a brief period under Theo’s direct control, closed his eyes and leaned back as far as the chains would let him. “And here’s the part where he tries to talk us to death.” 

Theo examined his chains. They were strong. He didn’t think that Scott could break them without a lot of effort, which meant Theo had no chance of breaking them. They were well secured to the floor as well. The chains also had enough give to allow for some movement created the temptation for a prisoner to lunge a captor but not quite reach them. It was invitation to a beating. 

“That was pretty dry of you.” Theo commented.

“You can’t be best friends with Stiles for ten years and not pick up some of the finer points of sarcasm.” Scott admitted without thinking. He must still be tired, because he rarely mentioned his best friend anymore.

Mason hadn’t said one word to him since Theo had took control of Scott. Theo could assume it was out of disapproval; he really couldn’t blame anyone for that. If he had been Scott’s place, he would have been seething at the control, in a similar vein to who he was low-key seething about being a prisoner. But Mason was also calculating, and given his stunt with the air-borne fragrance, Theo wasn’t going to underestimate him.

The three of them were set into another room against a wall. Two hunters were watching them, and they had an array of weapons more than sufficient for dealing with them. This was not the place or time to start anything. 

Gerard entered the room. “We’ll begin shortly.”

“Begin what?” Mason asked. Scott closed his eyes and Theo shot the human a look. Never ask a sadistic captor what they intended to do with you. That would just get them started, and once they started, they didn’t stop.

“We’re going to talk and share our feelings,” Gerard laughed. “Isn’t that what young people do nowadays? We’re going to talk about what we want and what we haven’t got, and how to get it. All three of you have your roles to play, and you won’t’ even have to memorize any lines.”

Gerard walked away to see some preparations, pleased with himself. Theo shot Mason a look that said _And that’s why we don’t tease the hunters_. Scott still had his eyes closed.

In a few minutes, Lydia was rolled up next to them in a wheelchair. She didn’t look like she needed the chair at all. Other than the bandage around her head, she looked far more bright eyed and alert then they did. The mistletoe injection that Deaton had given her had stabilized her mind and gone a long way in repairing the damage that Valack had done. 

“Are you okay?” Scott opened his eyes and looked at her. “They haven’t hurt you?”

“I’m fine. In fact, I’m feeling better than I have since …” Instead of continuing and mentioning her ambush, Lydia smiled a beaming smile at Scott. Theo could detect no scent of pain, though he could smell anxiety and a great deal of aggression. She was angry. So angry.

Scott sagged against his chains. “I’m glad. I’m sorry, Lydia.”

Lydia watched Scott. She wasn’t even tied down to the wheelchair, so she could lift out her hand and put it on his arm. “You have nothing to be sorry about when it comes to me. You did your best, with what you knew. It’s I who should be sorry. I should have figured things out quicker.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Lydia.” Scott grabbed her hand; the chains gave him enough room to do that. “I was the alpha. It didn’t mean I had to be perfect, but when I’m not, it’s my fault. Comes with the eyes.” 

“If you two are done, maybe we could work on getting the hell out of here.” Theo tried to break them out of their mutual guilt; something told him that their dedication to taking the blame was one of the things that Gerard intended to rely upon.

“Are you talking to me?” Lydia flipped her hair back, and suddenly it was as if she was in third-period Social Studies rather than tied up in a mad hunter’s camp. “You think that I’m going to work with you? Oh, sweetheart … _No_.”

“I think we have to work together if we want to get out of this.” Theo gritted his teeth. He had never liked being the target of condescension.

“I am a banshee that recently got her powers boosted to a point beyond her control; I know exactly how we are going to get out of this.” Lydia looked down her nose at Theo. “You know of whom you remind me, Theo? Back in school, before all this mess began, there were these little freshman girls who’d toddle up to me and try to take my place with flattery or with some snide attack. It never worked. Why? Because I saw that they were desperate little children feeling lost because they didn’t have a place and they thought they could steal mine. They were just like you: thieves. You have a hole in your chest, Theo, and everything you’ve stolen — your sister’s heart, our alpha, my _friend_ — none of it will ever fill that hole.”

Scott whispered from the side, trying to shift the conversation to something a little less confrontational. “He could change, Lydia. I’ve seen it.”

Lydia turned her head to Scott and smiled, warm and wide and sad. Then she turned back to Theo. “That’s what you stole from me. Two years ago, I was very different. I could have walked passed a dying hobo in a ditch and complained loudly about the time it would take me to call 911. I had built this fortress — a prison really — where I could have complete control. What did Stiles call it? ‘A cold, lifeless exterior.’ Who do you think got me to care? My dangerously self-absorbed murder-lizard boyfriend? My head-in-the-sand mouse-timid mother? The emotional cripple who stalked me since the third grade? No. It was the boy who had every reason to focus on his own problems, but stood up to a power-mad alpha to save my life. And not just mine. And not just once. You corrupted someone who can see the good in even a wretched creature like you. You’ve ruined him. You’ve ruined _us_. The only thing I’ll ever do for you is scream.”

This was the type of response that Theo had been prepared for. “You really think someone who acted like Scott was going to protect you from people like Gerard? From the doctors?”

“Oh, honey, those aren’t the people who scare me.” Lydia sneered. “I heard what you told Stiles in the parking lot. You were going to lead us? You don’t even _understand_ us. The scariest monsters are my friends. I’m the girl who hears death — the ultimate solution to all equations. There’s the boy whose mother’s illness so convinced him that he was steeped in shadows that he became them. There’s the girl who’s a predator in human skin and a girl who’s a thunderstorm wearing a very nice jacket. There’s a boy who, if he really let go of his anger, could tear this city down to rubble. You were going to lead us?” She hissed derision. “Silly little boy. You can’t hold back darkness with more darkness. _We’d tear you apart_.”

Theo bit his lip. He began to think of a riposte, a counter-argument.

“Just stop. You’ve had your chance at monologuing before, and right now, you need to pay attention to what this evil fuck is about to say. It’s important.” Lydia turned away from him as Gerard re-entered the room.

Gerard looks at his captives. “I want to make this clear to all of you. My ultimate goal in this is to kill The Beast. Do any of you doubt that?”

Scott moved his jaw. “That’s the truth and a lie at the same time.”

Gerard gestured with both hands. “I supposed you could think like that. I am, more than my terrible disappointment of a son, the true warden of the Argent legacy. We destroyed the Beast the first time; we will destroy it this time as well.”

Lydia spoke up. “History said it was Jean Chastel who killed the Beast.”

“Did Wikipedia tell you that?” Gerard snidely remarked. “The truth, as all hunters know, is that history’s most vicious, most famous werewolf, was killed by a simple spear in the hands of a young girl. You, Lydia, need to hear this story, because you’re going to help me kill it.”

“Oh, I am, am I?” Lydia narrowed her eyes. “Why would I help someone like you, a kidnapper, a murderer, and the man who _almost_ manipulated my best friend into becoming one as well?”

Gerard didn’t get angry. “You’ll help me for three reasons. You help me because the Beast is a monster who kills just to kill. It’s not doing it out of revenge; it’s not doing it for power; it’s not doing it for sustenance. It kills because it likes it. Once you’ve seen it, even if you survive, you’ll hear every death that it caused. You’ll help me because Allison would have wanted you to help me protect the victims that it would kill. And you’ll help me because if you don’t, I’ll torture Scott to death right in front of you.”

Scott surged forward in his chains like an idiot. Gerard flourished a Taser and electrocuted him. Scott snarled at him but fell limp after a moment. 

“And me?” Theo wanted to know what the game was.

“You’ll keep Scott from causing too much trouble, because it’ll keep you alive, abomination.” Gerard tilted his head. “And if you won’t, I’ll kill you and use Mason to keep Scott … cooperative.”

Lydia’s bravado faltered but she lifted her chin. “You should just get on with it.”

Gerard began his story. He began with the story of a man and his friend fighting during the French and Indian War in North America. His story matched what Theo had discovered while learning from the Doctors, but there were subtle differences in the tale. The Doctors were far more clinical in their approach. Gerard, for example, had far more information about the Beast’s ties to Gévaudan, and less information on how the man destined to become the Beast was already what modern people would call a serial killer. 

“A paw print?” Scott exclaimed disbelievingly.

Mason looked a little dazed. “Liam said that you, Theo, called it an immanent werewolf.”

“There’s a certain number of ways to become a supernatural creature,” Theo began. He looked Gerard right in the eyes as he continued. People had stopped thinking of Theo as dangerous because he was chained up; the old hunter wasn’t the first to make that mistake. “You can be born one, like Lydia or Derek. You can be bitten, like Scott or _you_ , Gerard. Or, you can be so inhuman that the mere exposure to the supernatural transforms you into one. ” 

Gerard frowned but he was smart enough not to pistol whip Theo in front of his men, giving Theo’s claim any credibility. Instead, he cocked his head to the side, and said simply. “You skipped a method. You could be a freak science experiment like you.” Theo sneered at him. 

Gerard began his tale once more, talking about the return of the duo from North America, and the reignition of their killing spree. Theo had heard about this before. He hadn’t heard about the recruitment of the Beast’s own sister, Marie-Jeanne, to lead the hunt though nor had he heard of her timely rescue by Henri who might have been a druid. It was fascinating to hear the same story from another’s point of view. 

The story moved on to a ruse that Marie-Jeanne and Henri prepared. Gerard, for all his faults, was a very good storyteller. He captured the fragile terror of humanity helpless before the power of the supernatural. He captured the horror of discovering that a member of your own family had become a relentless killer and then a monstrous creature. 

Theo glanced over at his fellow captives. Scott had a look of sad understanding dawning on his face. He was hearing about the founding of the Argent line. The alpha finally knew about why they had such strict rules against become a supernatural creature. The alpha finally understood why the Argents were reputedly matriarchal. He was learning so much about Allison’s legacy.

Lydia, on the other hand, was calculating. She obviously knew more than she let on, and she was trying to work out how this new information that Gerard was feeding her into her plans. Theo had the satisfaction of being right; he had always known that the banshee was just as dangerous as the other members of Scott’s pack.

Mason, on the other hand, seemed mesmerized. Not only that he smelled strange, and he was quiet and withdrawn. Usually the human was enthusiastic to learn, even if what he was learning was pretty horrific. Theo moved on; Mason was the least of his problems.

The tale wasn’t that interesting to Theo. Sure, he was hearing details he had never heard before. The Doctors’ version was a lot more dry and focused on details. Gerard continued with the Maid's confrontation with the Beast’s friend, Marcel.

“Why would anyone go to such lengths to hide a killer like that?” Scott demanded. “Especially when he knew it was wrong!”

“Oh, Scott. Why did you go to such lengths to protect Stiles when he was killing dozens of people while possessed by the nogitsune?” Gerard chuckled. “You put his life above all others. But if you don’t believe me, you should ask Mr. Raeken. Who here would know better?”

Theo’s confusion must have shown on his face. He had no idea what the old hunter was talking about.

“Marcel may have had the key to the cellar, but I never told you what his occupation was, did I?” Gerard enjoyed playing with people. It must have been one of the few pleasures the sadistic bastard still had left. “He was a physician and a battlefield medic. You could say he was a _surgeon_.”

It was more than laughable, it was ludicrous. Theo had witnessed with his own eyes that the Surgeon was insanely old, kept alive by their powers and the rejuvenating properties of Der Soldat’s fluids. The Doctor could be the Marcel from the story, but that would mean that the motive behind the Beast’s resurrection wasn’t more power. The Surgeon had been the leader; he had determine their path. 

“That’s right, science experiment.” Gerard’s smile was cold and cruel. “I don’t know if it was romantic or not, but all this happened so one man could have his best friend back. The reason that they manipulated you to destroy your family, the reason that they transformed you into this sociopathic monster, the reason they stole your potential from you, none of it was for something as meaningful as a grasp at ultimate power. It wasn’t from a dedication to discovering the forbidden knowledge of the universe. His motivation was the one emotion that you have never felt, the one thing you will never feel: love.”

Theo felt dizzy. He felt sick. His blood was pounding his veins. It had disturbed him from the first that the Doctors had chosen to resurrect the Beast when it made no sense.

Gerard went on to speak of the final battle between the Beast and his sister, of the forging of the Pike, of the declaration of Damnatio Memoriae. Theo could scarcely pay attention. His life had been used up for something as banal, as common as the bond between two friends. 

“Theo,” Scott whispered to him. “Theo, it’s okay.” Theo glanced over and saw that Scott was watching him. He had seen the distress he was in and had instinctively tried to help.

Lydia had less use for Theo. “So, we’ve heard the story. What has this to do with us?” 

“Haven’t you figured it out?” Gerard challenged.

“Of course, I’ve figured out some of it,” sniffed Lydia. “You need Scott to fight the Beast. He’s the only alpha strong enough to do it who you can control. You need Mason or Stiles to keep Scott in line. You need Theo, because you’ve surmised, as I have, that the Doctors, as obsessed as they were, would have found the Pike.”

Theo snapped back from his nauseating revelations to focus on something hard and real. It made perfect sense that the Doctors would have located the one thing that could possibly destroy the creature they had worked so hard to resurrect. Theo thought about all the places he’d been, all the places he’d seen. If the Surgeon was Marcel, he would want to keep the Pike on him at all times.

The sword-cane.

“I’m just not sure why you need me.” Lydia shrugged off the mystery.

“As much as I’d be willing to kill the teenager who is becoming the beast, as they’re a mass murderer, you might just be the key to getting the monster to remember who it really is.” Gerard pointed at her.

“Why would you think that?” Lydia, still, did not understand how rare and special banshees were.

“Because you’ve done it before,” Gerard gloated.


	17. Thunder's Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captured by Gerard, Theo and Scott wait for the inevitable rescue attempt. It goes very well, and it goes very badly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Major Character Death, but this one I'm sure you'll like!

After the pronouncement that he believed Lydia was they key to defeating the Beast, the banshee looked dismissively at Gerard. “Are you referring to Jackson? I was able to reach him because of our emotional connection. I doubt I will have a similar connection to any random teenager the Doctors have mutilated.” Only a supernatural creature with a superior sense of smell could have detected the sadness emanating her. Theo imagined it was about Tracy, who Lydia had tried her best to save.

“There’s a myth that you can cause a werewolf to return to human form by calling out its Christian name.” Gerard explained. “Like most legends, it carries a gain of truth. When you look at Jackson, you have seen that myth revealed as an essential principle of the supernatural.”

“The shape you take reflects the person that you are.” Scott said aloud. Theo saw the wheels turning in Scott’s head. He was trying to beat Gerard to the punch.

Theo was content to wait. Gerard was certainly going to explain it to them, and he decided it was more profitable to concentrate on how to get out of these chains and out of this bunker. He didn’t want to be coerced into telling Gerard he knew where the Pike was. He glanced over at Mason. The human’s eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily.

“Exactly. You’re not as dumb as you look, Scott. When you are a shapeshifter — a real shapeshifter, not a cheap knockoff like Mr. Raeken here — your conception of yourself has an impact on the forms you can take and the powers you possess. For example, a creature like a kanima, born from violence and lacking any true identity of its own, seeks out a master to give it an identity. A creature like you,” Gerard gestured to Scott, “focused on self-righteous wish fulfillment becomes dominated by that fantasy.”

“Not wanting to see people die is not self-righteous,” Scott said quietly. 

Theo, on the other hand, was angry at the insult. “So what about you? I heard your form dripped black goo everywhere.”

Gerard looked at Theo like he was giving serious thought to bashing his head with a truncheon. “What I am trying to say, Lydia, is that you might have the ability to reclaim the host from the resurrected Beast. No matter how much science the Doctors practice, they still are using another creature with its own identity as their foundation. If you can reach the person serving as the host with your voice, you may force the Beast to release its hold upon them.” 

“Peter told me it wasn’t the scream that gives me power,” Lydia countered, without conviction. She was arguing for the sake of argument.

“Peter Hale is probably one of the most singularly unreliable sources you can consult in this world,” Gerard sneered. “He wanted you to focus on your hearing because it wasn’t to his benefit for you to focus on the powers of your voice. It might be too late for you to learn how to truly develop it now, but you can at least do this one thing.”

Lydia just smiled. 

“Be that as it may, if you work with us, if we combine your powers with our knowledge,” Gerard reasoned, “I think we can stop the Beast and protect the people of Beacon Hills.”

“You have two of my friends and a piece of crap I would happily see choke tied up and captive, why don’t you just coerce me to help you?” Lydia asked, faux sweetly. 

“I could do that. I would prefer that you aid me because it’s the right thing to do.” Gerard answered. “It’s much easier to establish trust that way.”

Theo was going to make a snide comment when movement in the corner of his eye stopped him. A door into the room opened and shut of its own accord. He disciplined his face as best he knew how. It looked like there was going to be a rescue attempt after all. 

Lydia appeared to be considering her options, carefully measuring what she had been told. It wasn’t out of character for her to do this, which was why the old man was relaxed. The lights suddenly went out; the monitors suddenly died. There was only a brief moment of absolute darkness until the emergency lights suddenly went on, bathing everything in the area in a harsh green light. 

“What the hell was that?” roared Gerard. It was the only wasted effort. He was ready for an assault almost immediately. He turned to the hunter that was sitting at one of the control boards. “Petros, were any of the frequency modulators tripped?” 

“No. I was watching when the lights went out. Everything was green.” Gerard was a canny planner, a powerful strategist, and a brilliant tactician. He must have sensors attuned to the Doctors’ frequency in anticipation of an attack. Theo would have done the same thing if he had the resources. 

“Maybe they cut the power?” Another hunter, whose name had been mentioned during their time but Theo couldn’t be worried enough to remember, asked.

One white eyebrow put him in his place. “There’s no way anyone but the Doctors could cut the power,” Gerard explain. “The only path from the outside of this bunker to the generator goes through this room. All primary power cables are buried deep within the walls.”

Theo could have told the old hunter that it couldn’t be the Doctors. They weren’t gods and they were very strong, yet most of the time, they kept their power hidden so they could move among people unawares. Most people wouldn’t be able to notice them unless the Doctors desire them to, but Theo would be able to sense them. He could feel it when they phased out of this reality. On the other hand, if there was a supernatural entity draining the power, Theo had a very good idea who it would be.

And so did Scott, because his heart beat faster at those words. 

“Littleton.” Gerard ordered. “I want you to check all four gates integrity. Don’t skimp on the firepower.” 

Littleton picked up a Remington 870 combat shotgun and headed toward the door. The senior Argent was playing for keeps. Whoever their rescuers were, they were playing a pretty tight game as well for the moment Littleton opened the door, three smoke grenades were tossed into the room. Within a minute, vision in most of the room and the hallway beyond was totally obscured. 

Theo suddenly found a ring of keys pressed into his hands. “Mr. Argent,” Corey whispered urgently, “doesn’t know which key goes to your manacles. One of these should be it.” Theo immediately got to work. The smoke didn’t bother him much at all. 

“Corey,” Scott choked out. “You have to take Lydia first.”

“No.” Corey protested. “I was going to get Mason …”

“Corey,” Scott pleaded. “I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but Lydia is the most important person here. She can stop the Beast, so you need to get her out now. I know you’re strong enough to get her through all this, and you can make her invisible.”

“I’m not leaving you with that madman, Scott!” Lydia sounded outraged. 

“Listen to me, Lydia. This is more important than me. He’s not going to hurt Mason, and I’m betting that the others are coming in now. All it takes is one bullet for you …”

As if on cue, gunfire echoed down the corridor. Battle had begun. Theo was going through the keys one at a time. He was trying to hurry but there was a limit to how fast he could go. The ubiquitous smoke meant that loss of fine detail on the keys. If he lost his place on the ring, he would have to start over from the beginning. They didn’t have that amount of time. 

“Corey. Lydia. Please. Go!” Scott’s voice raised beyond what was probably safe for him to say. 

Corey’s face appeared out of the smoke; regret and indecisions etched a frown upon it . With a single glance at the still quiet form of Mason, he promised. “I’ll come back.” The chimera grabbed Lydia’s arm, and they vanished from sight. Theo, still trying to find the key, wondered at what he had just seen. He hadn’t even a clue the Mason and Corey knew each other let alone some sort of relationship. He wondered what else hadn’t he noticed?

Mason did not answer Corey’s retreating back. He was gazing at the floor as if lost in thought. “What the fuck is wrong with the human?” Theo spat out the words in frustration as he tried key after key. None of them were fitting.

At least Scott took what Theo said seriously. He bent over to as far as the chains would permit to inspect Mason. “Hey. Are you okay?” 

“I’m well,” Mason said in a extraordinarily creepy, low voice. He didn’t sound well. He sounded eerie.

Scott decided to try to cheer him up. “We’re going to get you out of here. I can’t reach to cut your ropes, but I’ll be free or they’ll be people here soon.”

Theo focused on his task. Finally he discovered the right key for his manacles. He jumped out of them and they clattered to the floor, hopefully drowned in the sound of the firefight. “Bingo!” He was free. He immediately turned to Scott. “Give me a moment to find yours.”

The smoke generated by the grenades thinned out due to the ventilators that kept the air breathable. This was not a coincidence. The sounds of fighting from the hallways loomed louder. From somewhere else in the complex, there was a devastating roar, cacophonous and staccato, like thunder in a small space. Scott’s eyes lit up once more. 

“Kira.” Scott breathed. He said it like it was the first word in a prayer.

The figure that emerged from the thready remains of the smoke wasn’t Kira though; it was Isaac Lahey. “Not even close, though I’m told I can pull off her look if I try hard enough.” 

Scott smiled a stupidly bright smile at him, but it faltered as the reality of what was going on hit him. “I’m …”

“Enough of that shit!” Theo was rapidly losing patience. “I’ve got to find the right key. Save the feelings for later, God damn it!”

For a moment, Isaac contemplated the pistol in his hand and his ability to shoot Theo a lot, but he holstered his gun. “Forget the keys. All three of us pull together.” Theo caught on quickly. While these chains were enough to keep an alpha bound, Isaac and Theo added leverage as well as their own strength. With a single tug, that had all three of them groaning with the effort, they pulled the chains right out of the ground. 

Scott stood up and shrugged off the chains. “Now, let’s get Mason and …”

The roar of a shotgun cut the alpha off as Isaac spun around with the blast to the back. “My son must have taught you a lot, Mr. Lahey, for you to be able to organize this distraction. Too bad, I recognized my own teaching.” Gerard sneered. He was alone. 

Isaac went down on one knee from the blast. He was really hurt. Theo could smell the wolf’s bane from the slug. He didn’t recognize the kind; he wasn’t any more susceptible to wolf’s bane than any human would be. 

Scott roared back at Gerard, but when he made to charge him, Gerard turned the gun on the still tied-up Mason. “Now, unless you’re willing to strike to kill, I’d stay where you are. You know I won’t hesitate, and it would be a shame. He’s such a bright boy.”

Theo scowled and turned to Scott. This might be a surprise for the old bastard. As he did so, he caught Scott’s glance. His eyes were pleading. 

Instead of commanding him to kill Gerard, Theo hooked one arm up under Isaac’s shoulder. “Sounds like you’re losing, old man.” 

Scott relaxes and picked up Isaac’s other shoulder. The blond werewolf was still stunned by the blast, but he was still alive. He tried to turn around to face Gerard and the other two helped him. 

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you? Back up,” Gerard ordered, motioning with his head. “Put your backs against that wall.” They did as commanded. Gerard warily kept a good distance between them. He stood right next to Mason who was looking up at Gerard. 

Isaac had recovered enough to cough. “You might as well give up now, fucker. Your son has a literal army of monsters in your facility.” 

“The medical coma was a ruse?” Gerard questioned. He looked even a little proud. “Melissa McCall faked the charts. I should have realized.”

Isaac nodded. “How do you think we got in here? You two were the ones who designed it.” 

“While you have me at a disadvantage I’m not out of the fight yet. You spirited Ms. Martin away, but I have three hostages. I’d say four, but you’re not looking too good, Isaac.”

It was the truth. The wolf’s bane was already creeping its way through the Beta’s body. They needed to get one of Gerard’s shells if they had a hope of healing him. 

Scott looked desperate, desperate enough to charge the old man the first time the gun was not pointed in Mason’s direction. Theo had no doubt he’d do it, in order to save Isaac’s life. Theo looked at the nearest doorway. He could escape, and then summon Scott back to him, if he survived. But all the hard work he had done to get Scott to start seeing his future with Theo as an inevitability would be undone. If he fled and either Mason or Isaac died, Scott would stubbornly resist him, and that’s not what Theo wanted at all.

“How about you take that exit as fast as your walker can move, and chalk this whole thing up to bad planning?” Theo offered. He wasn’t going to rest a few digs at the psychopath.

Gerard looked tempted once again to put a slug into Theo, but he shook his head. The Argent was far too wily to get pulled into a rash decision. “I think not. As much as no one would care if you died, Raeken, and as much as the True Alpha is damaged goods, there isn’t a single person attacking me right now that would risk a hair on Mason Hewitt’s head.”

“No,” Mason said. Theo could have sworn that Mason growled. Scott must have heard it as well, because he looked sharply at the younger boy. 

“What?” Gerard demanded. “What did you say?”

Mason looked up. His eyes were glowing so blue they had turned white. “That’s not my name.”

A few things happened in very quick succession. First, Theo took in the glowing eyes and the swirl of black that formed around Mason. He watched the ropes snap like they were Twizzlers rather than heavy cord. In his mind, the only thought that came to him: _Well, that explains that_. It was why the Pathologist hadn’t let him follow and take out Mason that day outside the school.

Second, Isaac and Scott watched the transformation of the human — or what they thought was a human — into a monstrous creature that they had only seen represented in books and paintings. Mason was but the framework on which it conjured itself from the shadows in the room, an ancient evil given new form.

Third, Gerard completely lost his wits. He should have won this. He had neutralized sources of information that could be used against him, he had the means to counter his primary opponents, and he had defeated those who had risen against him. It was only two bits of information that he did not have the caused his downfall. He didn’t realize that his son could be just as strategically deceptive as he could be, and he hadn’t know the identity of the key chimera. These two shocks, delivered in close proximity with each other, unsettled him, and because he was unsettled, he failed to make the proper decision. 

Instead of running like hell from the fully actualized La Bete de Gevaudan, he tried to shoot it with a wolf’s bane laced shotgun shell at point blank range. The shell hit … something, but by the time the transformation was complete the damage had vanished into the dark oil-slick shadows of its form. As quick as any wolf, which was horrifically intimidating in a creature that large, the Beast knocked the shotgun from the hunter’s grip and with the other arm grabbed the man by a shoulder. 

“Theo!” Scott shouted. “Get Isaac out of here!” With a roar Scott leapt towards the Beast. Theo cocked his head with indignation. He was the one who was supposed to be giving orders! On the other hand, he didn’t want to be anywhere near the Beast without a plan. Unlike the last time he had seen it, this time the Beast acted less like an animal and more like a calculating human being. 

Theo began to drag Isaac to an exit where gunfire was happening. The shot beta tried to fight him. “You can’t leave Scott alone with that thing!” 

“He knows what he’s doing!” Theo was sick of this. He struck the beta’s shotgun wound with his fist, which took the fight completely out of Isaac. 

They weren’t half-way across the room when Theo heard a terrifying sound. Looking back over his shoulder, the First Chimera watched the Beast tear Gerard Argent in two with a spray of blood and viscera, unconsciously rendering karmic retribution for all the werewolves which the old hunter had slain and cut in half. 

Scott was crouched on the floor, a slash across his face already repairing itself, though Theo could still see his jaws and teeth through the flesh. Giving up the fight, Scott snatched the shotgun off the floor and sprinted toward the pair of them.

The three of them ran as quick as they could manage, hearing the pounding steps of the monster behind them. They got through the door, and Theo realized he was looking down the barrel of two shotguns. Chris Argent had arranged a precision assault. Beyond the younger Argent and Braeden, he saw Liam and Hayden acting as backup, along with, to his immense relief, Tracy. He didn’t stop moving though. “Get out of the way!” he shouted, because he knew that Scott and Isaac couldn’t. 

He dodged to one side and at least the relieving force took him seriously. The Beast appeared out of the door, roared so loud that the entire bunker shook, and then bolted past the others. None of them but Liam and Tracy had seen the Beast before Theo, and they were not slightly interested in getting in its way.

“What the hell was that?” Braeden shouted. 

“La Bete,” Chris intoned in heavy words. “Ultimately, that’s what we’re trying to stop.”

“You’re too late,” Theo snarled. “It remembered itself, thanks to your father’s unending desire to listen to himself talk coupled with his skills as a storyteller. That’s all the Doctors were waiting for, and now they have what they wanted.”

Chris took a step towards the doorway of which they had just come out. Scott stopped him, even though his face was still healing. He shook his head, his words being mangled by the wound to his face. “I’m sorry. He’s dead.”

“My father died a long time ago.” Chris put whatever he was feeling away with all the rest of his emotions. “Is that the gun he used to shoot Isaac? Let me see it.”

Scott handed him the gun, and Chris knelt to see to his ward. Theo let the alpha and the hunter take Isaac off his hands, as they saw to his wounds. When he turned around, he saw Liam rushing up and right into his face. Tracy was close on his tail.

“Where’s Mason!” Liam was all concern and furious energy. He’d actually gotten scraped up during the battle.

Theo grimaced. There was going to be no easy way to say this. 

Tracy, as usual, snapped in irritation. She was still in kanima. “Don’t be an idiot. They certainly didn’t smuggle the Beast in there without us seeing it, and your alpha’s not one to leave a person behind. Figure it out.” She maneuvered to get between Theo and Liam.

“That’s not possible.”

“I saw it, Liam.” Theo shrugged. “If it means anything, I’m sorry.”

“That means nothing!” Liam growled.

Scott reached out and touched Liam when it looked like he was going to start something. “It’s true, but …” His face was healed enough to speak now. “Gerard knew a way to save him. Lydia can save him.”

Liam flinched away from the touch. It might have been out of guilt or out of mistrust of what Theo had done to Scott, but Scott’s face sagged as the beta did so. He turned away. “Once Isaac’s ready to go, we can get out of here.”

It did not take them long. The plan had been simple. Chris, Braden, Liam, Hayden, and Tracy were the primary assault force. They were to simply be a decoy for Corey and Isaac to get to the captives and free them. Kira’s part, with Malia and Stiles guarding her, was to draw the power away from the facility. It would blind Gerard and his men, but it would also neutralize several electrified plates in the passageways, that would hurt werecreatures and kill humans. 

Once Isaac had been treated enough to be safely moved, the group began to work its way out of the bunker. Tracy and Theo kept clear away from the others, though Scott stood between them and the rest, supporting Isaac with Chris’s help.

“Do you think your father was right?” Scott asked.

“He knows … knew all the lore and the stories. If he thought that Lydia could somehow reawaken the host, then I don’t see why not.” Chris answered. He might have suggested verifying it with an Emissary but the only one they knew was now dead.

Theo saw Scott hesitate before continuing to speak with the younger Argent. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“So am I.” Argent replied, glancing over towards Tracy. Tracy met his gaze, unafraid, with a warning hiss in the back of her throat. “But I’m more worried about you.”

“You shouldn’t do that.” Scott shook his head. “We’ve got more important matters to worry about.”

Isaac had recovered enough to nearly shout his disbelief. “More important matters … !” 

“I gave my word in return for their help, which _we need_.” Scott shook his head. “If I survive what’s coming, then I stop fighting.”

Theo liked the way Scott had phrased his answer. The alpha hadn’t mentioned the deal; neither of them didn’t think that Isaac or Chris would appreciate it. 

Once Isaac was mobile again, the group headed toward the surface. Theo kept near Tracy and Scott. He didn’t trust that one of the other people wouldn’t try to put an end to him, hoping it would try to free Scott. And, there were plenty of glances thrown his way by a group of people who significantly outnumber his forces for him to be concerned. He didn’t think they’d try anything yet. They didn’t want to fight Scott.

When they emerged from the bunker, the remaining members of his pack were waiting for him. Lydia looked pleased with herself, while Stiles kept his gaze on the surrounding woods, not meeting anyone’s eyes. Corey searched the area for Mason. And wasn’t that going to sting?

Kira, on the other hand, immediately rushed forward, a smile on her face and threw her arms around Scott. 

Scott’s face lit up like he was a toddler on Christmas morning, seeing a tree lit up for the first time. His hands came out and caught her. It would have been awfully romantic; those disinclined to such a thing would have called it mushy. Theo felt something strange at the pit of his stomach. He wasn’t quite sure what it was.

But Scott’s joy lasted only a moment. Realization of his situation crossed Scott’s face. He was still Theo’s puppet. He began to push her away but Kira wouldn’t let him. “You don’t know.”

“I don’t care.” Kira exclaimed. “I heard everything you did, and I know that it’s no more your fault than it was mine when I killed that chimera. We’ve been hurt, and we’ll get better.”

Theo felt that strange emotion twinge again, and he turned away. He didn’t need to look at it, and he needed to keep things on an even keel. Let the kitsune have her time. Tracy was looking at him as he reacted to the couple. What did she want? 

He took a few steps away as people began to talk. He wanted this part to be over, but he could be patient. He had learned patience. He pushed that feeling away, and eventually it went, but it was replaced with another feeling. An anxious feeling that wasn’t in his gut, but in his head.

He should have recognized it immediately, but the stress and rush of the last few hours was beginning to take its toll. He should have been more prepared, but he wasn’t, and this was going to be bad. Because when he finally did recognize the feeling, it was too late.

_The Doctors were coming._


	18. Maelstrom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After freeing themselves from the corrupted hunters, the packs take a deep breath before the final battle with the Beast and the Doctors

There were several necessary things you had to keep in mind when dealing with the Dread Doctors.

When dealing with their memory-altering aura, Theo had quickly learned that it had one weakness. Eventually, subjects would develop a resistance to its subtle effect. The editing was intrusive, and any brain, even a human’s, would eventually begin recording memories in such a way as to be untouchable by its casual manipulation. Discovering this weakness was how Dr. Valack had stumbled on the process he used to write his book. If the Doctors really wanted to, they could still focus their power to edit a subject’s memories or cause hallucinations, but if the aura ceased to work it was easier just to kill them.

That is how Theo had learned what he needed to know about them to be able to deal with them now. Eventually, they just stopped erasing Theo when he had to be present when their secrets were revealed. They assumed he was loyal, and he had been. But they had trained him well — too well — in how to manipulate, and he had taken advantage of it. He never intended to stay loyal forever.

One of the things that he had learned and never revealed to them was how to sense their approach. The Doctors had augmented their abilities by electromagnetically shifting themselves out of phase with the rest of the world. Things didn’t affect them as strongly as it affected other people. When you punched them, most of your target wasn’t really there to be hurt. This phasing accounted for their stealth, their resilience, and their retarded aging. Paradoxically, it was also incredibly stressful on their bodies, but that was why they kept their Nazi-alpha-werewolf-in-a-tube. Their phasing, however, did affect not only them but the world around them, and Theo could sense the disturbance in the world from their presence. It was like an a barely audible hum that kept you from focusing or a sick, metallic feeling in the back of your throat.

They both meant that they were on their way.

“As much as the kidnapping and the gun fights have been lovely, I think that’s enough excitement for the day,” Theo announced, trying to sound nonchalant. “Is Josh alive?” He turned to Corey and Stiles as if expecting an answer.

Corey shied away from any eye contact, moving to where Hayden and Liam were holding hands without answering. Theo let visions of revenge against the ungrateful chimeras flash through his head, but they really didn’t satisfy him. Corey had tried his best during the station battle, and it would take an insensitive block of wood to resent the fear that event put in people. Some people did not like violence, and Corey, no matter how much Theo tried, would associate the First Chimera with the Doctors. 

As for Hayden who didn’t even look at him, he couldn’t maintain his anger towards her. She had loved no one as much as her sister, and while he had never shared that particular emotion to the same degree, he couldn’t blame her for blaming him. 

Stiles stepped forward, putting himself between Malia and Lydia and Theo. “Yeah. He’s alive. Barely.” His words sounded like an accusation.

Theo gave the human an insincere smile. “If you tell me where he is, we’ll go pick him up.”

“We’ll?” Stiles took another step forward, his eyes sliding to Scott. What did they expect him to give up the alpha? Suddenly, tensions rocketed up; Malia growled at Theo warningly.

“Yes, _we’ll_.” Theo had no interest in getting into a shouting match with Stiles or an actual tussle with Malia, because he knew the Doctors were coming, and he wanted to be out of here long before they arrived. He didn’t look over his shoulder; he cursed the bead of sweat that appeared on his brow. 

Scott looked up from where he was still physically close to Kira; they hadn’t been speaking at all, but simply taking comfort in each other’s presence. He lost the slight look of contentment that had been on his face. He tried to move away but Kira wouldn’t let him. Scott’s face might have torn in two, but he turned to his Theo. “We know the Beast’s name now. We know how to stop it. We can figure out a way to defeat it together. That was our deal.”

Theo tried not to glance over his shoulder to search for the approaching threat. “Yes. That’s the deal. On the other hand, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Most of these people don’t look that much better.”

“Or maybe,” Isaac stated, “you’re just nervous because you’re outnumbered.” 

Theo scowled at the other werewolf. He didn’t know how far he could push this, but he needed to get his people and get out of here. Time was slipping through his fingers. 

Tracy, on the other hand, decided that she didn’t like the beta’s tone. She walked right up to Isaac. “Do you want to make a move?” She challenged, her eyes going their slitted green-yellow.

“Against a bargain-basement kanima like you?” Isaac sneered and dropped his claws. “Let’s go.”

“Enough,” Argent ordered. “As much as I hate to admit it, Theo is right. If we’re going to face the Beast, we have to be at our strongest. We’ll break apart now and recover. Is there a way to contact you, Theo, when we are ready to make our move?”

“Stiles has my number.” Theo smirked.

“I lost my phone.” Stiles grunted back.

“Give it to me.” Argent replied. “I’ll let you know when we are ready to move, and we will let you know when you’re … “

“Josh,” Tracy gritted out. 

Theo gave Argent his number. He was sure every damn werewolf heard his heart beat sped up. “We’re leaving now.” He started walking away from the direction he was sure they were coming.

Scott tried to free himself, regretfully, from Kira. He spoke quickly and urgently to everyone around him. “You have to watch out for Lydia. If the Beast remembers what it heard in there, it might go after her.”

“Don’t worry,” Malia spoke. “Anyone coming near her has to deal with me.”

“With all of us,” added Braeden.

“Yay. Good. I’m glad. I’m happy.” Theo added sarcastically without looking back. He called to Tracy and Scott. “Come on. Now.”

Scott whispered good-bye to Kira, who reluctantly let go of him. Scott trudged after Theo; he could hear his reluctant steps.

“Theo?” Kira called out before Theo could disappear into the trees. 

Theo didn’t stop. “Yes?” He did sneak a glance over his shoulder. 

“After this is done … I have a message for you.” Kira’s hand tightened on her sword so hard that her knuckles turned white. 

Theo snorted. That wasn’t ambiguous or anything. They soon left the other people behind out of sight. It was late and he was tired, but he still broke out into a run, forcing the other two to keep up with him. Tracy and Scott could match him easily. After a while, they came to the edge of the preserve nearest to Tracy’s house. 

Scott looked sour as he came to a stop. “What was the rush, Theo? Why do you have to be so antagonistic? You know that’s going to make it harder to work with them.”

Theo forced himself to look away from Scott and keep walking. “Maybe I did it for you.” He hadn’t but he kept his heart beating steady as he lied.

Scott came to a stop at the very edge of the forest. Theo and Tracy kept walking, but when it became clear that Scott wasn’t going to come any farther without talking to him, Theo sighed. He needed Scott to keep moving. “Tracy, you go ahead. We’ll meet at your house.” 

Tracy raised an eyebrow, but she did as she was told, sprinting across the lawns to where her home would be. Theo walked back to Scott.

“What did you mean by that?” Scott said. The alpha looked lost. 

“I wish …” Theo began. He stopped. This was going to sound all wrong, but it had to be said. “I wish that she had never come back from the desert. You’re not going to be with her. I’ve told you this, and all her coming back is going to do is make you feel worse.”

Scott’s eyes bored into his. “You care that I feel worse?”

“Yes!” Theo shouted in frustration. “You’re the one who told me I should!”

Scott looked away as if Theo had struck him someplace painful. They stood there in the forest under the night sky.

“I guess I did.” Scott said softly. “Let’s catch up to Tracy.”

###### 

Exhaustion had claimed Theo almost the moment he came into the house. It wasn’t solely physical exhaustion; he didn’t want to think anymore. He actually fell asleep on the couch in the living room, because he didn’t feel like going into the guest bedroom with Scott after that confrontation in the woods. He wanted to be by himself. 

A little after three a.m., he had received a text message from Hayden. Josh had woken up and, while he was not at his best, he was not going to die. He was being taken care of by Scott’s mother at the McCall house, since any normal doctor would have had serious problems with the electricity-storing organs that were scattered through Josh’s body. The people there had been giving him regular applications of electricity, because it hadn’t only been Scott who had noticed his trick with the guards in the tunnels below Oak Creek.

Theo wondered why Hayden had bothered to call. Maybe it was because he had asked about Josh; he didn’t know. He rolled over and pulled the comforter that had appeared on him over his head.

He had slept fitfully after that. Niggling thoughts kept appearing in his mind. He had sensed the Doctors. He _had_ , but they had not shown while he was arguing with the others, and they had not shown up at the house. With their technology, they could find any chimera if they wanted to, of that he was sure. Theo had been counting on them having bigger fish to fry than him, but the lack of resolution made him nervous. But as rough as it was, it was still sleep.

The aroma of coffee woke him up, and that brought a long-forgotten memory to the surface. His father — his real father — had an automatic drip coffee maker that worked with a timer, so he could have coffee ready the moment he woke up. While none of the alarm clocks in the house would ring until seven, the coffee maker would start at six forty-five. In the winter, Theo remembered waking up, not to the cheap buzzing, but to the smell of brewing coffee. It had been a long time ago, but it was comfortable.

He sat up and rubbed at his eyes. There was a breakfast prepared for him. A steaming cup of some home-ground medium roast and a plate of waffles? 

Tracy appeared with her own of coffee and sat down in the recliner that used to be her father’s.

“You made me breakfast?” Theo asked groggily. 

Tracy nodded and turned on the television to the weather channel. She liked to do it in the morning to help plan out her day. 

“Why?” Theo picked up the fork and start in on the waffles. They were warm. 

“Well, it’s easiest to poison you if I can hide it in food,” Tracy commented. “I made you breakfast because I wanted to.”

Theo grunted and tore into the aforementioned waffles. He was hungry, so it didn’t take him long to finish off the meal. He sat back on the couch and sipped his coffee. He pooled the comforter around his ankles. He was warm. This was nice. 

“You want to talk about yesterday?” Tracy asked when the local forecast had been given.

“What about yesterday?” 

Tracy gave him such a look. “There’s a lot to talk about.”

“We’ve got an idea how to stop the Beast, but we have to worry about the Doctors.” Theo shrugged. “They’ll be gunning for Lydia. They’ll probably be gunning for Meredith as well, but now that the electromagnetic defenses of Echo House are back on line, that loony-tune is probably safer than any of us.”

“So the plan is to let them take the lead?” Tracy ran a finger over the lip of her coffee cup.

“They have control of the banshee. They’re not going to come after us while I have control of Scott, but we need to make sure they don’t neutralize that advantage. The moment they think they can free Scott, they’ll come for both of us.”

Tracy frowned. “Scott is still in the guest room. He said he’s not hungry.”

“We’re at this again,” Theo remarked crossly. “He’s probably pining about Kira.”

“Probably.”

Theo shrugged in answer. “I told him to get over it. The sooner he moves on, the better for him and for us. I do want to go see Josh today.” He shows his phone and Hayden’s text to the kanima chimera. 

“So, we’re not going to talk about it.” Tracy could have been teasing him, but she looked serious. She handed him back his phone.

“Talk about what?” 

“Talk about how you’re jealous of Kira.” Tracy sounded like she was describing the sky as blue.

Theo snorted. He thought about it for thirty more seconds and then snorted again. “Did you hit your head on something, Tracy? Why would I possibly be jealous of Kira?”

“Because she loves Scott, and Scott loves her.” 

Theo stared at Tracy as if she had grown a second head along with her tail, and she just stared right back at him, unflinching. That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. “I’m not jealous.”

“God, Theo, for someone who’s so good at manipulating other people’s emotions, you outright suck at understanding your own.” Tracy made a face. “You like Scott. And I’m not talking about liking his power. I’m talking about liking him.”

“No, I’m using that. I’m using that to control him,” Theo stated. “I’m not in love with Scott.”

“No. You’re not,” agreed Tracy pleasantly. “But you could be, if you let yourself.”

Theo stood up. He gathered up his clothes; he was going to get cleaned up and take a shower and put this ridiculous conversation behind him. “What would you know about it?”

“Because I feel the same way about you.” 

Theo dropped his clothes in surprise. He turned slowly to face her. “You … do?”

“I could be in love with you, if I wanted to. I’m trying to figure out if I what I feel is because I actually like you or if it is a side effect of you being my Master, or if it’s a combination of both.”

Bending over to pick his clothes up again, Theo didn’t quite know how to answer that. It wasn’t something he had planned; it wasn’t even something he had taken into account. He didn’t mind, but he knew that most people would feel weird if they felt they might only like someone because they were made to do so. “Does that bother you?”

“I don’t know.” Tracy shrugged. “So I’ve decided not to let it bother me. Look at it this way, I’m not dissatisfied with what you’ve brought me. I’m alive. I’m strong. I’m no longer beholden to the Doctors. In fact, we’re plotting to destroy their work. I’m peachy.”

“You really hate them, don’t you?” 

“You _know_ what it is like to be used as an iteration of an experiment and then tossed away. I was nothing more than a test subject for their ultimate goal. While I don’t suffer from parasomnia any more, I’m never going to have a normal life. I’m bound to you, whether I like it or not. I killed my father in a waking nightmare. You didn’t do this to me; even if you helped them do it to me, I’ve seen how powerful they are. You couldn’t say no. _They_ did this to me; all I want right now is revenge. If we put down the Beast, I get what I want, you get what you want, and Scott gets what he wants. Emotions can be dealt with later.”

“That’s … practical.” 

“You can say cold-blooded, Theo.” She stood up. “I’m a big girl. So what’s on our agenda?”

“Get Scott awake and get some food in him. We’re going to the McCall House; I want to see Josh.”

###### 

The McCall House looked exactly the same as it always did, which was weird to Theo, as he had learned exactly how much damage had been done to it in the last two years. Mrs. McCall must have phenomenal insurance, or she had access to a really, really good carpenter.

“Come on, Scott.” Theo snapped. “Quit stalling.”

Scott was staring at the house; he didn’t bother answering. 

“Your mother’s not here,” Theo argued. 

“They called her the moment you called them. She’ll be here soon.” Scott said heavily. 

“Then the best course of action is to get this over with, so you can leave. It’s going to take time for her to find someone to cover her shift and her to drive here. Chop, chop.” Theo stalked toward the front door, Scott reluctantly falling behind.

Theo knocked on the door, and he wasn’t a bit relieved when Isaac Lahey opened it up. Of course, though the First Chimera. Scott’s going to be an utter basket case now.

Unsurprisingly, Isaac didn’t say anything. He simply avoided Scott’s eyes and Scott avoided him right back. Theo broke the line of mountain ash with his foot. “Scott. Go pack. Now.” He made it sound like an order to remind everyone who was in charge of what.

Scott hesitated and with an apologetic glance at Isaac, he ran up the stairs to get away from the uncomfortable situation.

“You know,” Isaac growled, “we’re going to find a way to free him, you son of a bitch.”

“Everyone keeps saying that,” Theo responded with sarcasm as he walked into the living room, “and yet, none of you are any closer to doing it. Where is everybody?”

Isaac crossed his arms. Sitting on the couch was the recovering Lydia. She didn’t say anything to Theo, she just flipped him off.

“Good morning to you, too. I think it’s kind of stupid, leaving just one person guarding our key to defeating the Beast.” Theo pointed out.

“People have work to do,” Lydia responded archly. 

“More important than keeping you safe?” Theo scoffs. 

“Thank you for the concern, Iago, but no one has to tell either you or me that the Doctors _aren’t_ going to let me sneak up on La Bête and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. Liam, Hayden, and Corey are at school, trying to give us the illusion of normalcy. Chris Argent and Kira are back at the Argent Bunker, gathering tools and firepower. Braeden and Malia are trying to hunt down Malia’s mom, because the last thing we need is a were-coyote assassin attacking us at the worst possible moment. I have no idea where Stiles is. With the mountain ash and Isaac and _the ability to predict my own death_ , I’m as safe as I possibly can be.”

“Okay,” Theo nodded at her.

“You asshole,” Isaac gritted. “Stop pretending that you are anything but a manipulative psychopath.”

“Pretending?” Theo gave Isaac his best smile. “I’m willing to take any amount of abuse from Lydia because there is no way for me to justify digging my claws into her neck to find the Nemeton. I did it, and while I’m not sorry I did it, I can’t really argue that she doesn’t have the right to be as pissy as she wants to be.”

Lydia’s face gave the indication that she would indeed remain pissy.

“But I’m not going to accept bullshit from you or anyone because I won a battle in a war. It was ridiculously easy to get Scott alone, wounded and unprotected. You know, I was worried that it was too easy, that his pack would betray him before I was ready.” Theo chuckled. “Don’t get high and mighty with me because I own him now. Scott was vulnerable because his friends couldn’t _wait_ to abandon him. But then, you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Lahey?” 

Isaac charged into Theo’s personal space, eyes glowing, claws extended. “I’m going to wear your lungs like a hat.” 

“Not today, you won’t.” Theo matched his bravado.

“Boys,” Lydia chided. “There’ll be plenty of time for macho violence later. Isaac, please take Theo to his minion. I have a headache.”

Isaac seemed willing to listen to what the banshee had to say, because without further discussion, he took Theo up to the guest room and left him there.

Melissa McCall had managed to put Josh on an IV and had bandaged him as well as she could. Someone had also rigged a stripped extension cord through an electrical device, supply the chimera with a low-voltage feed of electricity. The boy seemed comfortable and better.

Theo was sure, even with his trick, that he had lost Josh in the tunnels below Oak Creek. He was no stranger to callous murder, but this time it was someone that was supposed to be his. Only his own injuries had stopped him from throwing himself at Gerard. That old man’s death had been extraordinarily satisfying.

Taking a chair near the bed, Theo whispers as gently as he was able. “Josh? Josh, are you awake?” It’s a stupid question. Theo can tell that he wasn’t, but it’s a gentle way of waking someone up.

“Theo?” The boy’s voice was dry and cracky. 

“Yeah. How are you doing?” It was another non-question.

Josh laid there without answering; the breath moved his chest up and down. “I can’t do it anymore.”

Theo’s eyebrows lift in response.

“I can’t do it anymore.” 

Honestly, Theo should have been prepared for this. Josh wasn’t a person with big dreams. He was a slacker who wanted to party as often as humanly possible. He wasn’t someone who would be transformed against his will and decide to either take over the world or to save it. He didn’t have the McCall Moral Code that would impel him to get involved. He wanted to go home and smoke a bowl.

A minute passed as Theo sat there on the chair. Finally, he said “Okay. Get better.”

Theo opened up the door of the guest bedroom, disappointment roiling through is veins. Could he really blame Josh though? The chimera had died once and nearly died twice more in a span of little less than a month. It was understandable that he had had enough. It was understandable to want to live.

His eyes were drawn down the hallway, where he watched Melissa McCall walk into her son’s bedroom. Theo closed the door behind him, but he remained where he was. He focused his hearing so he could eavesdrop. What was one more sin?

“You’re … packing.” Melissa’s voice quavered a little.

“I can’t keep wearing Theo’s clothes. They don’t fit.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Her voice cracked on that one. “You’re angry at me.”

“I’m not leaving because I’m angry at you. I’m leaving because I have to. I was angry with you; I’m not angry with you anymore.” Scott’s voice was gentle. 

“I don’t know …” Theo heard the hesitation in Melissa’s voice.

“You didn’t see me,” Scott interrupted. All movement in the room that Theo could hear had ceased. He put his hand over his mouth so Scott couldn’t hear his breathing.

“Do you know why Allison broke up with me for good? Because she couldn’t see Scott anymore. She saw the werewolf that had destroyed the image she had of her family. She remembered the lies and the compromises and the violence that happened because of what I was every time she looked in my face. She didn’t _blame_ me.” Scott’s voice wasn’t sad; he was trying to explain. “It’s hard to go to the prom with the reason your mother is dead.”

Scott and his mother must have sat down on his bed, one after the other. Theo heard the bedsprings creak.

“I just wanted someone to see me. Someone to see Scott. Not the person I had to be, but the person I used to be. Not a monster, or a superhero, or Werewolf Jesus, as Stiles put it. I wanted someone to see the person I was supposed to be.”

“You think I don’t see that boy?”

Instead of answering Melissa, he went on. “Remember when I broke Grandma’s vase and Stiles and I tried to put it back together with white glue? Remember when I got my hand stuck in an old rocking chair in the attic because Stiles and I were playing a game by daring each other? Remember the day I broke two windows because Stiles and I wanted to make a slingshot?”

Melissa forced a chuckle. “Yeah. You were pretty stupid.”

“Yeah. Stiles had been with me for almost every blunder I’ve ever made. But a few weeks ago he screamed at me that I was being unreasonable because normal people have to make mistakes once in a while. He _screamed_ that at _me_. And then I realized that my best friend didn’t know who I was. All he saw was the ‘True Alpha.’”

“Honey …”

“You did it too. I was hurt, Mom. I was really hurt. I wasn’t healing. My friends hated me. People were trying to kill me. And you left me alone. Because all you could see is that Stiles needed you more than I did. Why would I need you? I’m the alpha.” He was crying. 

Melissa was crying as well, but she sniffled and said. “We’ll get through this.”

“Will we?” Scott sobered up. Theo imagined him wiping his eyes with his sleeve. “You never told me to stop. I think there’s only one end.”

“What?”

“I’m tired. I’m so tired of being afraid.” Scott did sound pretty exhausted. “You know that if Stiles and Jackson had taken five more minutes to get to the Hale House, I’d be dead or Peter’s beta? If Gerard had decided not to get fancy and had Jackson paralyze everyone before taking the bite, I _would_ be dead. Can you imagine what would have happened if Jennifer had rejected Derek’s appeal to her trauma or Allison hadn’t figured out that silver killed oni? I’ve dreamed of not being able to get that skull off my head and killing everyone. I know I’m supposed to be strong for _everyone_ , but I’m tired of living on the edge of oblivion. It never stops; it’s never going to stop. This is for the best.”

“You think I’m going to …” Melissa’s voice rose in protest.

“You’re going to let me leave.” Scott said firmly. “Mom, there’s a man standing in your house. He can be funny when he wants to be. He’s actually really beautiful. But he doesn’t know how to be a human being, and all he has to do is think about it, and he could make me crack your head like an egg, and I couldn’t stop him. He accidentally caused me to rip a woman in half just a few days ago.” 

“You can’t give up, Scott.”

“I’m not giving up. I’m letting go. There’s a piece of machinery somewhere in my chest that … it takes a piece of me every day. When it first started, he had to touch me to make me do what he wanted. Now, I find myself thinking about what he would want me to do. I’m not going to get any better.” 

Scott must have stood up. They were quiet. No more goodbyes were said. When he came out of his bedroom, he was carrying two duffel bags. He saw Theo immediately. “You ready?”

Theo nodded. Together, they left the house.


	19. Kingdom's End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven:_   
>  _A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;_   
>  **Ecclesiastes 3:1-2**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Major Character Death, Suicide Ideation, and Gore

“So, we’re going to do this on the new moon. Tonight.” Theo looked across the kitchen table at Scott and Tracy. He glared at the tablet where the plan, carefully outlined and e-mailed to him, was open for inspection. “I don’t like it.”

Tracy cocked her head to the left side. Scott sighed. 

“So you’ve said. Repeatedly.” Scott pointed at the tablet. “It’s a good plan.”

“It’s a terrible plan. For example, you two may have not thought of this, but our allies are bringing seven people to the fight. Five cannot see in the dark. I can guarantee you, a moonless sky isn’t going to slow the Doctors down in any way.” Theo could tell that both Tracy and Scott thought he was being unreasonable, but he really couldn’t bring himself to like what had been proposed. He wasn’t able to put his finger on why; there was something he was missing and that made him hate it. 

“Lack of night vision won’t matter. Since we’re drawing the Doctors into an ambush, we want them to be able to find us,” Scott explained. 

“And if they shut out the lights?” Theo demanded.

“Why would they do that? You’ve said yourself they’re not particularly inventive when it comes to tactics.” Tracy answered. “When they see a target, they strike with overwhelming force.”

“Which is what we’re counting on,” Scott pointed out. “Argent’s emitters can hold them back for a little while. We lure the three of them to a location, separate them with the emitters and disable them one at a time.”

“Kill them one at a time,” Tracy corrected.

Scott and Tracy locked gazes. 

“There’s too much that could go wrong. What if they bring the Beast with them?” Theo tapped his fingers on the table. “Those emitters aren’t going to stop it.”

“That’s why Lydia is there,” Tracy broke her gaze with Scott. 

“They won’t risk the Beast, we’re betting, until she’s no longer a threat,” Scott reasoned. 

“A lot of guesswork.”

“Well, we don’t have a year to plan this.” Tracy raised one eyebrow. “They won’t wait forever.”

Theo couldn’t argue with that logic, yet he was determined to be difficult. “And if they turn out the lights, half our side can’t see.”

Scott pulled the tablet over and sent a message to Chris Argent. “I’ll tell him to make sure to bring flares. They can’t stop those, can they?”

“No. I don’t know.” Theo stood up. “Tell them we’ll do it, but under protest.” He walked away from the table and out into the living room. 

Theo turned on the television. It was the middle of the afternoon and there wasn’t much on but reality shows and HGTV. He kept flipping through the channels. It didn’t help him settle down the way he had hoped it would. 

At the very edge of his hearing, he heard Tracy whisper. “You should go talk to him.”

Scott made a grunting sound.

“Because he’ll listen to you,” she said. “If you haven’t noticed.”

It took a few more minutes before Scott came down and sat on the other end of the couch. They watched the episode until its end, silently. Theo broke the silence first. “They shouldn’t have bought the house. That living room is never going to look the way she wants it.”

Scott ran his tongue over his teeth before speaking. “What’s the matter?”

“You know what’s the matter. The plan’s stupid. We’re all going to die.”

“It’s not stupid, and you know that.” Scott shook his head. “You don’t have to talk to me about what’s really bothering you if you don’t want to.”

“No,” Theo snapped. “I don’t.”

“Theo. You can’t control me more than you already do.”

Theo crossed his arms and glared at the television.

Scott hums. “You tend to try to take control when you’re feeling anxious.”

Theo continued to try to stare the _Flip This House_ couple into submission.

Scott sat next to him. The clock on the VCR blinked at them in their silence.

Theo spoke to the people on the television, not looking at Scott. “This doesn’t feel right.” He put his hands on his knees and gripped them hard. “I can’t put my finger on the why. I just know I think about doing this tonight, and something tells me that we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Okay,” Scott encouraged.

“There’s something I’m missing.” Theo finally turned to look at Scott. “I’m afraid. I don’t want …”

Scott waited patiently. Theo looked into the alpha’s eyes. Scott had lost his freedom and his innocence; his mentor and Emissary had lost his life; his family was troubled; and he was estranged from all his friends and the woman he loved. And still, _still_ , the werewolf looked at him like he was willing to give him a chance, like he was willing listen to the fiend who had plotted against him, stripped him of his pack, tried to murder him, and then enslaved him. Tracy had been right; Theo liked this. He wanted it.

“I don’t want to lose what I have.”

Scott glanced down at his hands. “It’s the price, Theo.”

“The price of what?”

“Having people.” Scott bit his lip and then it was his turn to look away. “I hated my Dad for a long time, because I thought he didn’t really want me. I thought that to him I was an obligation, one that he had to visit once in a while to pretend he was a good father. Then I learned the truth — staying away was easier for him. He didn’t hate me. He was just a coward.”

Theo swallowed. 

“I didn’t really understand until the day I wanted to run away just as much as he had. She died in my arms, Theo, and I thought she had been the greatest thing that I would ever have. I thought nothing would ever compare to her. And I wanted to run away, so far away that I would never ever feel like that again.” 

Scott clenched his fists. “But you can’t have one without the other. You can’t have people you care about if you aren’t prepared to lose them. And that goes for anyone. Your family. Your friends. Your pack. Love makes you vulnerable.”

“Well, that’s not a very good pitch,” Theo joked, half-heartedly.

“It makes you vulnerable. It makes you happy. It makes you strong. It makes you willing to die for the people you care about; she did.” Scott turned to him.

“Still not a very good pitch. How about I skip the death part?” Theo laughed. 

“That’s what everybody tries to do.” Scott chuckled. His eyes fell to the ground. “You should feel nervous, but you’re good at what you do, Theo.”

“Well,” Theo smiled with a confidence he didn’t feel. “I’d better be.”

###### 

Theo bounced on his feet. The conversation between Scott, Chris and Braeden on final preparations flowed over him like water. He couldn’t focus on in it. They were in a clearing on a small hill deep in the preserve. It gave cover, but anyone approaching would have to be very careful not to be spotted by people. It was good choice of terrain for a fight.

Hayden and Liam were finished placing the emitters in key locations. Once they drew the Doctors there, the pair would be in charge of activating them to keep the Doctors separated. That was the hope at least. In the original plan, Hayden wasn’t included, but she had changed her mind at the last moment. Still, she chose to stay far away from him and Scott.

Tracy had climbed up in the tallest tree as far as she could get. She didn’t want to be surprised. It would no doubt suck if the Doctors caught them unawares. For some reason, he wished she was down there with him, but he forced himself not to let that feeling go through their link. 

The rest of Scott’s pack — Malia, Isaac, and Kira — were surrounding Lydia. It made sense. She was the bait. They couldn’t allow any Doctor to get close to her. She was even wearing a bullet-proof vest, courtesy of Chris Argent. The Doctors weren’t above using ranged weapons.

Scott nodded to the hunter and the mercenary. He turned and looked to see where the others were standing and took a step toward them. It didn’t take an empath to tell that he wanted to go over to where they were. He wanted to be with his pack. But he hesitated.

Theo remembered Scott’s words from earlier that afternoon. “You should go talk to them.”

“And say what?” Scott said. “Hey, it’s great to fight with you once more, even though I’m the bad guy now?” 

Exasperation surged through Theo’s veins. “You’re not the bad guy. I’m not the bad guy. Do we have different ways of getting what we want? Sure. But you didn’t betray them. You didn’t stop fighting. You lost. It happens, and if they can’t see that, then why would you even want to talk to them?” He glanced around. “Speaking of potential bad guys, where’s Stiles?”

Scott had spent too many years with Stiles’ sarcasm to get upset at Theo’s. “He’s doing what he’s best at.”

Theo frowned in response.

“Plan B.” Scott walked away from Theo to talk to his pack. 

Theo spent the rest of the prep time covering every inch of the proposed battlefield. He wanted to be ready for the fight when it happened. When he saw Chris Argent approach Lydia out of the corner of his eye, he came over as well, summoning Tracy out of the tree.

“Are you ready?” The hunter asked. It was almost fatherly. 

Lydia closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes.” 

“Will you be able to do it?” asked Malia. She was protective of the other girl.

“Unfortunately … yes.” Lydia looked directly at Scott. “I’ve been … holding this one back for a while now.” 

“Someone’s going to die tonight?” Braeden asked.

“More than just someone.” Lydia’s scream echoed across the clearing. As planned, from this place it reached all the way through the Preserve, all the way through Beacon County itself. It disturbed people in their sleep. It was a warning. It was a challenge to the darkness. It could not help but draw their enemies to them.

Conversations died after that. No one wanted to talk, because they knew that the Doctors weren’t going to hesitate. They were going to come and they were going to come to kill. People took their positions. Chris and Liam were flanking on one side, with Braeden and Hayden on the other. At the crest of the hill, Malia and Isaac guarded Lydia. Theo, Scott, Tracy and Kira were the point of the spear. They’d deal directly with the doctors. 

It was a good plan, Theo’s mind knew it. His heart was unquiet. 

The Doctors appeared without fanfare; Theo felt them come as he had before. They appeared without La Bête, which Theo thought was absolute fantastic news; they were still afraid of Lydia. As usual, they did not go for subtlety. They marched straight up the mountain in that triangle formation they always favored. So far, so good. 

Braeden and Chris opened fire as planned, and the Pathologist stepped forward out of formation to block the shots with his force field. Liam and Hayden dashed out from their hiding places; Liam pushed the Pathologist forward, which caught the Doctor off guard, while Hayden planted one of the Argent emitters between the Pathologist and the other two Doctors. They had him isolated.

Scott, Kira, and Theo dashed forward. Theo felt his heart catch in his throat. He knew how strong the Pathologist was, but there was no time to hesitate. The force field stopped their charge, but only for a second as Kira roared in challenge and her katana sent up a shower of sparks against the field. It shorted it out, her spirit issuing a thundering challenge to the power of the Doctors. 

Scott went high, while Theo went low. Tracy slashed at the hoses the Pathologist wore. Only a few feet behind them, the other Doctors strained against the emitter’s frequency. Using their teamwork, Scott got the Pathologist off his feet and the lumbering giant landed flat on his back.

 _It was working_ , Theo thought excitedly to himself. _It’s going to work_.

The Surgeon showed no reaction save to switch out his eyepiece. He studied the situation in that clinical detached way he so often took. Even slashing at the Pathologist, this enraged Theo. To find out that this, that all of this, was for someone that the Surgeon loved, that this thing was capable of love, and he hadn’t spared a drop of that for Theo, could not be born. Theo grinned a toothy, defiant grin in the Surgeon’s direction as he continued to claw at his colleague.

“Predictable.” The Surgeon’s voice carried over the battlefield. His other hand, the one not holding the cane, clenched into a fist with a sudden motion. Everyone could feel the power as it flowed over the battlefield. Theo held his breath, confused and anxious.

Theo almost relaxed; he almost let the breath escape from his lungs. He almost allowed himself to believe that the Surgeon’s gesture meant nothing. But he looked up just in time to watch a blank-eyed alpha slash a thunder kitsune across the abdomen with his claws. He struck true and deep. Scott reached up and grabbed the sword from Kira’s stunned fingers.

Theo scrambled backwards, getting clear of the melee. Cries of confusion arose from their side. Tracy just had time to look up before Scott slammed the hilt of the katana into the side of his head. 

“It’s not me!” Theo cried. Scott’s fear had come true. The Surgeon could control him as well. 

“Override effective.” The Surgeon spoke to his puppet. “Remove the obstacle.”

In the confused melee, Scott started to run towards Lydia. He still had the sword in his hand. He was going to kill her at their behest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hayden pick up the wounded Kira and drag her back. He saw that Braeden and Argent concentrating their fire on the doctors to wear them down. Tracy would recover, but not soon enough. Scott was going to carve through Isaac and Malia like butter.

Theo couldn’t have explained to anyone why he did what he did next. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was rage at the Doctors. Maybe it was what Scott had told him, that when he was at a lost, he reached for control. Whatever the source was, Theo ran in front of the alpha and grabbed the wrist with both hands. “Stop!” It wasn’t a request.

Scott’s face was still blank, but he stopped moving. The power of his right arm forced Theo to strain to keep the sword from coming down. Scott’s left hand came up, claws out. But he didn’t strike. Not yet.

“Listen, Scott. They can control you, but they can’t stop me from controlling you!” Theo shouted. “They’re going to make you kill. Scott, listen to me! They’re going to make you kill Lydia and everyone else. But you don’t have to listen to them. You can listen to me. Them! Or me! That’s your choice! Scott!”

Muscles trembled under Theo’s hand. People wouldn’t think that it was a great choice, but it was the only one the alpha had. Scott blinked for a moment. “Theo?” It was puzzled. 

Theo turned to where Argent was reloading. “I’ve got to get him out of here.” 

The Hunter was all business. “Go! Take Lydia with you. The rest of you keep attacking. The emitters won’t last forever!” 

Theo dragged Scott by the wrist towards where Lydia was waiting. In horror, Scott dropped Kira’s sword. He realized what he had done. Theo thought for a moment that he was going to have to pull him physically out of the clearing. But Scott’s face hardened and he turned back. “Liam! Find me! Soon!” 

The banshee was waiting for them. “Follow me.” It was all she said, but she dashed off between the trees. Scott did not hesitate to follow her and Theo went with them. He was hoping that proximity would make his control stronger. 

No moon shone down on them, but the stars glittered among the trees. They were so far away. The sounds of the battle faded in their flight. 

Theo and Scott crashed into the clearing following Lydia. Lydia came to a stop in another clearing, catching her breath. She didn’t have their stamina. 

Theo was unimpressed. “Great, more woods. You guys better have better destination in mind because they aren’t going to stop, and now I have as big a target on me as you do!”

“Oh, we do.” Stiles stepped from behind a tree and tossed something to Scott who caught it in mid-air. Before Theo even had time to figure out what it was, Scott had plunged the hypodermic into Theo’s neck. 

Theo let out a frightened shout. He should have had something witty to say, but he had become so used to working with Scott that he was at a lost. He staggered back and immediately felt his body go numb. 

“Kanima venom,” grinned Stiles. “Welcome to my world.”

Theo staggered as he could feel the venom taking hold. He turned to Scott, and he couldn’t help but show the hurt in his face. He tried to be angry. He gave Scott a command that would wipe the smirk off the human’s face. After all, Scott could follow his commands or follow theirs, but instead … nothing happened.

“I’m sorry, Theo.” Scott lunged forward and caught him before he fell to the ground. “But there’s one thing in Beacon Hills that has a stronger frequency for me than either you or the doctors.” 

Theo sagged in Scott’s arms, watching as Lydia walked through a few trees to a gigantic stump set in the middle of the forest: the Nemeton. Of course. Scott had been tied to it through the ritual sacrifice. This close to the sacred place itself, its power would drown any attempt to control Scott through the implant.

Scott carried him towards the tree. “Is everything ready?” 

“Everything is exactly as we planned it, dude,” Stiles announced. “Though couldn’t we find someone … anyone … else?”

“It has to be you. You can do this, Stiles. You’re the only one who thinks you can’t.” Scott smiled at him. 

Theo suddenly felt panic in his gut. The first thought that came to him is that they were going to take their revenge by sacrificing him to the tree. That was the key to harnessing its power. He couldn’t move; fear flooded him. “Scott, don’t …”

Scott turned away from the stump at the last minute and propped Theo on a fallen log. He was puzzled, and then his face softened. “Oh, don’t worry, Theo. No one’s going to hurt you. I promise. But we can’t have you interfering with what’s going to happen. Lydia will watch you.” 

Theo saw Lydia approach out of the corner of his eye. “How … how did you plan this?”

“You don’t really understand yet, Theo, but I think some day you will,” Scott made sure he was comfortable. “Having people, having friends, isn’t just about strength. I said that you have to be prepared to lose them, but having people also helps you deal with that. Friends make you happy. They help you fight. But they also help you deal with the pain, even when the world is trying to tear you apart.” Scott stood up and turned to Stiles, straight on, face-to-face, eye-to-eye. “Even when you hurt your friends by trying to do the right thing.”

Stiles couldn’t meet Scott’s eyes for long; Theo had noticed that Scott and Stiles had a tendency to talk around their problems. “Friends also do cool stuff, like quote your favorite movies. Self-important chimeras might have missed it, but when your best friend says stuff like _you have a lot of nerve coming here, after the stuff you pulled_ and you realize that it’s a quote from _The Empire Strikes Back_.” Theo would have face palmed if he could have moved. He had thought it was odd behavior from Scott in the animal clinic, but he had put it down to the tense situation. 

Stiles winked at Theo and talked excitedly. “Lando Calrissian tells Han Solo that when he arrives at Cloud City. Lando’s angry because Han lied to him about killing someone accidentally, betrayed him because he couldn’t face the truth, and when he got cornered, lashed out like a scared baby rather than own up to what he did. Han feels guilty, but they’re still friends.” Stiles voice filled out with regret but also conviction. “They’ll _always_ be friends, even if Lando is forced to work for the Empire. Don’t be too upset, Theo – that makes you Darth Vader, and he’s pretty badass.”

Theo felt a surge of rage. Scott had covered his message to Stiles with his anger at his mother and the Sheriff. “You … you told him what car we drove there.”

“I didn’t lose my phone,” Stiles smirked. “I hid it in the back seat. Scott and I’ve been texting each other since then while working on Master Plan II: Theo Gets His. Speaking of which, we’re missing someone, Scott.”

Scott and Lydia shared a significant look behind Stiles’ back. Lydia looked like she was about to cry. “Plan A didn’t go so well, but Plan B’s still a go.”

“Plan B?” gritted Theo; he’d been made to look foolish. “How are you going to stop the Doctors?”

Scott went over and looked at the Nemeton. “Deaton told us that even in magic, things just don’t go away. It’s the law of the conservation of energy.”

“Jennifer Blake started a ritual where she intended to sacrifice enough people to stop Deucalion: Virgins, Warriors, Healers, Philosophers, and Guardians,” Lydia said quietly. “But she never finished it. She only ever wielded a fraction of the power she would have gotten from the complete ritual.” 

Theo calculated. It might be enough. The Doctors may have been physically powerful without the Nemeton, but they needed the energy it governed to stay alive though Der Soldat. More than likely, they would be vulnerable to someone wielding the tree’s full power. There was still a significant problem though, and he expressed it sarcastically. “Yeah, I’m sure you guys are going to sacrifice three more people.”

“Two have already been sacrificed.” Scott’s voice carried his sorrow even in this tension of this night. Stiles dug something out of his pocket and handed it to his friend. The alpha placed the silver arrowhead on the tree stump. Even from his position, Theo watched the rings of the Nemeton glow silver. “One gave her life willingly to save her friends.” 

“Technically, the body that sacrificed itself in the water to find the Nemeton died on a telluric current in the high school. Killed by a friend to save his friends. It’s not my fault if I wasn’t actually _in_ the body at the time.” Stiles placed a roll of old bandages on the stump. The sound of flies filled the air. “Get it, Theo? It’s a _trick_.” 

Deaton’s refusal in the tunnels of Oak Creek echoed back to Theo. Of course, the druid wouldn’t have approved of completing a Darach’s ritual, no matter how many lives would be saved. He also wouldn’t approve of what had to happen. “No. Scott, don’t do this …”

Stiles rounded on him. “As if you care about Scott.” The human was always ready to lash out at those he thought deserved it. “But don’t worry about him. He’s died before, with Kira’s help. It’ll only give me a forty-five minute window, but that’ll be more than enough time to defeat them.”

Theo did care. He did, and Stiles didn’t know what had already happened. Theo opened his mouth to protest and Lydia shushed him. He couldn’t move but he could glare at her. She knew. Of course, she knew. That was her power. 

Scott had fallen silent, standing next to the Nemeton. He stared at its rings. Theo raged inwardly at the son of a bitch. Scott was okay with this; he had fooled Theo into thinking about life when all he had done was think about death.

There was a crash through the trees and Stiles rolled his eyes. “It’s about time! Come on, haven’t you people ever heard of timing …” Liam came to rest in front of him. “You aren’t Kira.”

“No.” The young beta said annoyed and scared at the same time. “Kira’s pretty damn hurt. They’re kicking our asses back there. They’re not going to be able to hold them back much longer. If you’re going to do something, you gotta do it now.”

“It’s okay, Liam.” Scott said and climbed up to the top of the Nemeton. “Everything is okay.”

Stiles wore the puzzled face he used when there was a mystery he didn’t understand. His mind raced to put together the clues; his face crumbled as he figured it out. “No.” He shook his head. “No, no, no, no, no! That was not the plan!”

“I hurt Kira,” Scott said. “I hurt her badly. They made me do it. You have to stop them, Stiles, and this is the only way.”

“I don’t care!” Stiles shouted. “You can’t ask me to do this! I won’t! I won’t do it!” 

“You’re not the one going to do it,” Theo snarled from his position. He had to stop this, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t control anything. “You were never going to give it to me, were you? That was a lie, wasn’t it, Scott?”

“Sort of?” Scott looked at him sadly. “I told you that if I survived, I’d give it to you.”

Liam was confused in his panic. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Scott wants you to kill him.” Theo could stop this; he could play spoiler. “You kill him and become alpha, and it completes the sacrifice. Yay!” Theo let the bitterness creep in his voice. “The good guys win.”

Five people stood in the Nemeton’s clearing. The truth of what was about to happen was clear to every single one of them. In the far distance they could hear the sounds of battle; it settled heavily in their ears, a reminder that decisions had to be made.

Lydia leaned in and whispered to Theo, even though Scott and Liam would easily be able to hear her. It was important to her that Stiles didn’t. “I know for whom I screamed. You did this, but you can’t stop it. I want you to witness this. I want you to remember it for the rest of your days.”

“I don’t wanna.” Suddenly Liam sounded a lot younger than a sophomore at this moment. He had figured out the role he was meant to play. “I don’t want to do this. Don’t make me do this.”

“You have to,” Scott’s voice broke. “I know I’m doing to you what I didn’t want people to do to me. It’s … It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done. But, Liam … Stiles, they’re going to kill Lydia. Then they’re going to kill everyone else I love. And they’re going to keep killing, because that’s what they do.” 

“And your answer is make him kill you!” Stiles was furious.

“You promised to save me, Liam!” Scott pleaded. “They might kill me. They might not. If they don’t, I could be their killing machine for years. If I’m lucky, I won’t be conscious for it. Stiles, I hurt Kira so badly she could die. I could kill more people, and I can’t stay at the Nemeton forever.”

Liam twisted his hands and took a step forward. Stiles stood in his way, gritting his teeth. “We run. You, me, Lydia, Liam. Hell, even Theo. We run somewhere else; we do something else.” 

“Is your father going to run? Is my mother? Is Mr. Argent? I don’t think I can live knowing all the people who are going to die, who could be dying right now, when we could stop it.” Scott shook his head. “Allison didn’t hesitate.”

“You’re not Allison!” Stiles screamed.

“No. I’m you.” Scott replied. “You told me that you didn’t care if you died, as long as …”

“I know what I said!” Stiles looked wild eyed.

“Stiles,” Lydia called, gently. She stood up and walked over to him. 

“No!” Stiles pointed at her in accusation. “It’s not the same!”

“In Eichen, you said it’s our responsibility.” Lydia soothed. “There’s no other choice. They’re on their way.”

Stiles clenched his fist walked over and slugged Scott right in the face. The alpha fell back; Theo heard the bones in Stiles’ hand crack. “I will _never_ forgive you for this.” The human’s voice was rough and shattered.

Scott took the blow. Stiles really couldn’t hurt him. Avoiding Stiles’ devastated face, he turned back to Liam. 

Liam shook his head. “No.” It was more a plea than a rejection.

“Liam, Derek told me that when an alpha can’t help their pack anymore, they give the alpha spark up to someone else,” Scott knelt down on top of the Nemeton. “It’s what has to happen for the good of the pack. No one is to blame.” 

Liam shook his head again forcefully. 

“You’re a coward,” shouted Theo. He knew what Scott was going to say next. “You’re running, just like your dad!” 

“I can’t be the alpha. I hurt people. I’m going to keep hurting people as long as they control me. How long before someone like Mr. Argent or Stiles’ dad has to shoot me in the head to stop me? And when that happens, all it will do is kill me. It won’t stop them. It won’t bring the people I’ve killed back. But this, what I am asking you to do, this will save people. You can hear them fighting. It’ll save Hayden. It’ll save _Mason_. You can save all of them, because I can’t anymore.”

“You coward! You hypocrite!” Theo couldn’t let his happen. _This wasn’t supposed to happen! He was supposed to win! Scott was supposed to be his!_ “Don’t do this! I don’t want you to do this!” No one was paying attention to him. They were ignoring him. “Scott, please …”

The movement was pretty innocent-looking from a certain angle. Liam’s arm flashed out, like he was batting away a bothersome fly. Scott rocked back on his heels, slightly surprised, as the blood poured down the front of him. Theo howled something inarticulate.

Liam turned and fled the clearing, racing back to the battle. Even as he turned, Theo could see the yellow of his eyes start to turn. 

Lydia took ahold of Scott’s hand and gripped it; she put the other hand on her shoulder. She was there, as all banshees are, at the death of those they love. She whispered, “One … last … Guardian.” 

All of nature reacted. The ground heaved like an earthquake. A wind picked up and blew a multitude of dead leaves through the air like a swarm of angry birds. Clouds appeared out of nowhere and blocked out the stars. Stiles stood on the other side of the Nemeton, mouth agape, horror etched on his face even as tears poured down his cheeks. Even a blind toddler could feel the power surging into him, harnessed by his belief.

Slowly, the human turned to Theo, the horror faded and was replaced with an inordinate rage. The mercy fled from his countenance even as the color fled from his iris and pupils until they were nothing more but glowing pits of shining white. 

Theo closed his eyes and waited for the blow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only the epilogue remains. There is always hope.


	20. Epilogue:  From the Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue for Dominion. 
> 
> What do you mean, Scott? There's always hope.

When Theo opens his eyes, everything is quiet. He draws in a huge breath as if he had had no air in his lungs. That’s when it hit him. He hadn’t. Stiles, in his rage, had killed him. He remembered the pressure and the snap of his bones failing against the surge of power. 

He struggled to sit up. He was filthy, covered in dead leaves and dirt. There’s an impression, a Theo-shaped hole in the ground. With his new breath, he coughs, pushing detritus out of his lungs. 

Someone was next to him. He startled, only to see Tracy sitting on the shattered log next to him. She had her head tilted to the side, studying him with her odd patience. 

“How?” He choked. His throat was raw. 

Wordlessly, Tracy held up an injector. It was the same type and filled with the same viscous green fluid that had come from the tank with Der Soldat. He had told her about how he had resurrected her. He staggered to his feet, and she moved forward to grab him. 

“That … when?” 

Tracy picked a stick off of him. “When Liam arrived with red eyes, I left. I didn’t care about their fight; I cared because you cared. When I felt you die, I came right to you. Then I found the Doctors’ Operating Theater, and I did it exactly how you told me you did. It worked.”

Theo took another two breaths. He didn’t feel right, beyond the damage his body was healing. “Why?”

“Why?” Tracy made a sour face. “I told you. I like you. And you brought me back; one good turn deserves another.” 

“How’s the battle going?” Theo asked.

“Liam tore the head right off the Pathologist. That’s all I know.”

Theo looked around at the clearing. No one else was here. No one but him. He lay on the stump of the Nemeton. He looked peaceful. Lydia must have made sure of it.

Rubbing at his face, Theo walked over to the stump. He looked down at the body.

“You’re not going to be an alpha,” Tracy observed.

“No. I’m not.” Theo said morosely.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” Theo chuckled grimly. “Revenge has got to be pretty sweet.”

Tracy put her hand on his shoulder. “Revenge?”

“He infiltrated me. He got me to care. He got me to hope, and then he pulled the rug out from under me.” Theo laughed and told Tracy an abridged version of what had happened. “I deserve that, I suppose. Turnabout is fair play.”

Tracy didn’t say anything, and that silence was very telling.

“You don’t agree?”

The other chimera hummed. “No.” 

Theo turned to her. He felt his posture stiffening. “You’re saying he didn’t trick me?”

“Oh, yeah. Probably. But he meant what he said, of that I’m sure.”

Bitterness welled up in him. “How can you possibly say that?”

“He didn’t need to say it to win. He could have stood by your side and never said a single word, and how would you have known any different? Yeah. He beat you, but he didn’t have to be nice about it.” 

“It doesn’t matter now, does it?” Theo said bitterly.

“Maybe.” Tracy held out the injector. 

Theo looked at it like it was made of fire. 

“I didn’t try it on him, because I didn’t know if it would work.” Tracy explained.

Theo looked back from the device to the body on the tree. He ground his teeth. “I’m not sure if he is a chimera or not. I don’t know the process they used. It could do nothing.” He took the injector from her hands.

“Ask yourself this, Theo. Do you want to find out? Do you want to take the risk?” Tracy suggested. “If he doesn’t come back, all you did was hurt yourself. If he does come back, he could be … wrong. He could no longer be in your control. He could turn on you.” 

The metal was cool under his hands. 

“Or he could be something more. It’s a risk.” Tracy looked away. “That was his point, wasn’t it? Anyway, the choice is yours. We don’t have all night. They’ll come back for him eventually, and we don’t want to be anywhere near here.”

Theo sucked in another deep breath. “Keep watch.”

Tracy moved away to give him some privacy. 

It was a risk, but then again wasn’t anything? Theo stared at the corpse, and he thought about the future. Lydia said he’d never be able to fill the hole in his chest, but maybe she was wrong. He couldn’t do it here. He’d have to leave. 

If Scott came back and he controlled him, he’d leave with them. That was the deal. 

If Scott came back and he didn’t control him, maybe he’d still leave with them. What future did he have here? After this? How much pain would he avoid by simply not being in Beacon Hills? 

If Scott came back and he was wrong … well, Theo wasn’t exactly morally upstanding. They could make it work. 

It was a risk.

 _Who am I now?_ Theo asked himself. _Do I get back up and try for what I want? Or do I run and hide and settle for nothing? Am I a common, ordinary person, crippled by loss?_

“I am the First Chimera.” Theo bent over and jammed the needle into the corpse’s heart. 

A moment passed. 

And then a minute. Theo didn’t move, staring at the Nemeton. 

Time slowed to a crawl. _Come on, Scott._ Theo thought. _Don’t give up on me now._

Electric blue eyes snapped open, staring at the moonless sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
